New tests to detect fake honey

Researchers led by Cranfield University have developed new methods to detect sugar syrup adulteration in honey, paving the way for rapid and accurate tests to detect counterfeit products.

Consumer demand for honey is increasing: £89.8 million worth of honey was imported into the UK in 2023. However, as a high-quality product, it is vulnerable to fraud as syrups are added to pure honey to dilute it – a 2023 European Commission report found that 46% of 147 honey samples tested were likely adulterated with cheap plant syrups.

Because honey’s characteristics vary depending on nectar source, harvest time and geographical location, detecting adulterated products can be very difficult and complex. Authentication methods are expensive and time-consuming, and there is a growing need for reliable testing and the introduction of new anti-fraud rules.

Now scientists at Cranfield University have successfully tested two new methods for the rapid and accurate authentication of British honey.

Detect fake honey without opening the jar

A research project led by Dr Maria Anastasiadi, Lecturer in Bioinformatics at Cranfield University, in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), used a special light analysis technique to detect fake honey without opening the jar.

Samples of British honey enriched with rice and sugar beet syrup were tested using the non-invasive Spatial Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) method – originally developed at STFC’s Central Laser Facility (CLF) – commonly used in pharmaceutical and safety diagnostics. This method proved to be highly reliable in detecting sugar syrup present in honey. SORS quickly identified the ‘fingerprint’ of each ingredient in the product, and the scientists combined this technique with machine learning to successfully detect and identify sugar syrup from various plant sources.

The analysis method is portable and easy to implement, making it an ideal screening tool for testing honey along the supply chain.

Dr Anastasiadi commented: “Honey is expensive and in demand – and it can be targeted by fraudsters who leave reputable suppliers footing the bill and undermine consumer confidence. This method is an effective and rapid tool for identifying suspect honey samples and helps the industry protect consumers and verify supply chains.”

The paper “Application of Spatial Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) and machine learning to detect sugar syrup adulteration in British honey” was published in Groceries.

DNA traces in honey help distinguish authenticity from fake

A second study, in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency and the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University of Belfast, used DNA barcoding to detect rice and corn syrups added to British honey samples.

The scientists used 17 honey samples collected from beekeepers across the UK, representing different seasons and flower nectar sources. They also bought four samples of British honey from supermarkets and online retailers. The samples were then spiked with corn and rice syrup produced in different countries.

Using DNA barcoding – a method already used in food authentication to identify plant species in products – the composition of each sample could be effectively analyzed and syrups could be successfully detected even with an adulteration rate of 1%.

“Until now, DNA methods have not been widely used to verify the authenticity of honey,” explains Dr. Anastasiadi. “However, our study has shown that this is a sensitive, reliable and robust method to detect adulteration and confirm the origin of the syrups added to the honey.”

“The wide range of variation in honey composition makes authentication particularly difficult. The availability of this uniform technology in the testing arsenal could therefore take the fear out of honey fraud.”

Sophie Dodd, who is currently completing her PhD on honey authentication at Cranfield University, added: “Having samples of known origin and purity is crucial to validating the methods, so we would like to thank the Bee Farmers Association, with whom we work closely on our projects.”

By combining the two developed methods, the chances of detecting adulteration by exogenous sugar in honey can be increased.

The article “Detection of sugar syrup adulteration in UK honey using DNA barcoding” was published in Food control.