Beekeepers "shocked"

The adulterated honey business is flourishing

Stretched honey has repeatedly hit the headlines in the past. A recent analysis shows that the problem is likely to be far greater than previously suspected.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Jag_cz, Maksym – stock.adobe.com)

If it says honey on it, it should only contain honey. But honey that has been diluted with sugar syrup and is therefore fake has repeatedly made headlines in the past. A new investigation suggests that the fraudulent business is flourishing on a much larger scale than previously suspected.

According to Statistics Austria, around 8787 tons of honey were consumed as food in Austria in the 2022/23 financial year. This corresponds to an average per capita consumption of one kilogram per year. The food produced by busy bees is valued above all as a healthy and natural alternative to refined sugar and other industrially produced sweeteners. However, it is not uncommon for honey to be diluted with this very sugar, or more precisely: sugar syrup.