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.
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December 14, 2020 | 12:01 am Font Size
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RESEARCHERS affiliated with the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) have found that about 82% of honey products sold in the Philippines are actually sugar or corn syrups.
Angel T. Bautista VII, a researcher with the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, said nuclear-level analysis indicates that many honey products actually have near-zero honey content.
“Eighty-two percent or 62 out of the 76 of honey brands that were found to be adulterated were composed of 95% C4 sugar syrup. So, they are not actually adulterated but they are just (mostly) sugar syrup,” Mr. Bautista said in a statement.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 13) Most honey products being sold in markets contain sugar syrup instead of pure honey, Department of Science and Technology researchers found.
Using nuclear-based tests, researchers from the agency s Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) found these products contain syrups made from sugarcane and corn, said the DOST in a recent release. Around 62 (82%) out of the 76 of honey brands that were found to be adulterated were composed of 95% C4 sugar syrup. So, they are not actually adulterated but they are just completely purely sugar syrup, explained DOST-PNRI s Dr. Angel Bautista VII.
The researchers used stable carbon isotope ratio analysis, which helps give clues on the analyzed substance s origin. Adulterated honey has carbon isotopes which may be traced from sugarcane and corn, unlike real honey, whose carbon isotopes match those found in flowering plants and bees.
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