New Quality Standards For Honey Notified By FSSAI

To enhance quality and put an end to adulteration of honey, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified new standards for it reports F&B News. To keep in check the purity of honey, major brands have come under scrutiny of the food regulator. Honey adulteration has been growing as artificial colours and sugars are being mixed in it.

Curbing Adulteration Of Honey

The report further elaborates that honey is commonly adulterated with corn and rice syrup, cane and beet sugars and sulphite-ammonia caramel. “A lot has been going on with regards to the honey sold in the market. There has been a growing concern amongst the public of honey being adulterated with corn or sugar syrup,” an official from FSSAI told F&B News. The regulator has collected honey samples from Dabur, Zandu, Patanjali and other popular brands for testing.

“We have collected samples of all the brands selling honey in the market, but the testing is not yet over. The results may take couple of weeks to come,” the official added. If any food business operator (FBO) was found in violation of the new standards set for honey, they will have to pay a fine up to Rs.3 lakh and imprisonment up to six months.  “While the enforcement of the new regulation will start next year, the surveillance and monitoring activities is likely to continue,” the official told F&B News.