Too often honeys lie to us, denounces Test-Achats

After denouncing the presence of antibiotic and pesticide residues in honey, the Belgian consumer protection and defense association Test-Achats (TA) has once again dipped its spoon into the jar. And what comes out of it is hardly enticing.

A little like it goes for olive oil, this « healthy » product, not necessarily cheap and which benefits from being presented as artisanal, as natural as possible and with irreproachable origins, honey very often hides little flattering. And this, in more ways than one. Anthology of criticisms addressed by Test-Achats, following the tests carried out in its laboratories.

The composition

Depending on whether the honey is made from a mixture of flowers or produced from the nectar of a single variety of flower, the price demanded by the producer can be considerably different. What does the Belgian regulation say about this? Relatively vague, it states that « the sales denomination may be supplemented by indications relating to the floral or vegetable origin, if the product comes entirely or essentially from the origin indicated and has its characteristics« . An open door into which manufacturers have engulfed themselves, as evidenced by the pollen and organoleptic analyzes of TA: of the 21 samples of honey tested, one out of two – 11, precisely – does not deserve the designation of « monofloral product « .

The source

As soon as a geographical origin is mentioned on the label, the honey must be produced exclusively from nectars from this region. And what did the TA teams in the laboratories find this time? Aberrations, to say the least, which at least have the merit of making us travel. Unless it is to take us on a boat… Examples: an Italian honey with orange blossom which turns out to be thistle honey containing pollens from Central Africa, a Belgian rapeseed honey with pollens from Asian plants , or even a New Zealand manuka honey – sold expensive and ugly, it seems – in which grains of pollen from the American continent have been unearthed. How can these anomalies be explained? « In the case of industrial production, possibly by the presence of pollen residues from a previous batch in tanks or pipes« , according to TA, who however points out that « the presence of foreign pollens in an artisanal honey, potted manually by the beekeeper, can certainly not be justified in this way« .

The freshness

A natural product par excellence, honey must be extremely fresh. In accordance with the royal decree of March 29, 2004, recalls TA, the honey must be fresh, not contain additions and not to have been transformed. « If the honey is heated or stored too long, its quality is strongly affected.notes the association. This degradation can be easily demonstrated in the laboratory« . Verdict of the analyses: three of the samples tested did not meet the standard. In other words: a new jar may contain… old honey.

The truth

In conclusion, the consumer protection and defense association regrets that a product as natural as honey is not better protected by the authorities. Whether in terms of freshness, authenticity of sugars or compliance with the indication of origin (floral or geographical), of the 28 varieties of monofloral or regional honey analyzed by TA, 16 samples presented deficiencies. Also, a complaint was filed by TA with the FPS Economy against these 16 products and a letter was sent to the Minister for Consumers, Chris Peeters. Once again, Test-Achats has reiterated its request for the adoption, in Belgian legislation, of all the European directives relating to the minimum levels of enzymes and pollen concentrations in monofloral and regional honey varieties. As for the 12 samples which came out of the batch and which brought full satisfaction, they are proof that it is not impossible to meet the conditions in force.

Another solution, increasingly popular with amateurs, is to produce your own honey yourself. Becoming a beekeeper, in Brussels or elsewhere, seems within reach of many of us, as we can read in the series on urban beekeeping, produced this summer by La Libre Belgique.