MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): Consumers beware: It may not be real honey that you are buying.
Researchers from the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) have found that at least three of four honey brands being sold in the Philippines are not pure or are entirely fake.
The questionable honey products contained or were almost fully low-cost syrups made from sugarcane and corn, they said, citing tests using the internal standard stable carbon isotope ratio analysis (Iscira).
Results of the study were presented by the PNRI last week as part of this year’s Philippine Nuclear Research and Development Conference.
(Pexels.com / MANILA BULLETIN)
Researchers disclosed that the honey products contain syrups made from sugar cane and corn after making nuclear-based tests. They said that this “fraudulent practice” allows manufacturers to increase the volume of their products while reducing the production costs.
“Sixty-two out of the 76 (82 percent) of honey brands that were found to be adulterated were composed of 95 percent C4 sugar syrup. So, they are not actually adulterated but they are just completely purely sugar syrup,” said DoST-PNRI Dr. Angel T. Bautista VII.
Bautista said impure honey proliferate the Philippine market.
According to him, 12 out of 16 or 75 percent of local honey brands sold either in groceries or souvenir shops are not entirely honey. In addition, a staggering 87 percent or 64 out of 74 of local honey products sold online are impure.
3 of 4 honey brands in PH fake, says study inquirer.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inquirer.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
DOST study finds 80% of honey products sold in markets are made of sugar syrup gmanetwork.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gmanetwork.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.