Alarming news about the supposed ‘non-authenticity’ of almost all honey sold in Germany, Austria, the UK and Finland has swept across Europe in recent months.
However, it is necessary to deepen the basis of such allegations, an experimental method of DNA analysis, to assess their complete unreliability and to reassure stakeholders.
1) Honey, and its complex nature
Honey characteristics vary greatly depending on the botanical origins of nectar sources; which are linked to the geographic location of the apiaries, the season of harvest and the weather conditions, resulting in kinds of honey with different flavours, colours and composition. (1)
Although honey consists mostly of various sugar forms (fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose), it also contains other minor components, including essential vitamins and minerals, amino acids, proteins, and phenolic compounds, which positively impact its nutritional and economical value. (2)
Furthermore, honey contains environmental DNA (eDNA) traces which derive either from the pollen and the insects (including the honey bees that produced it), and from viruses, fungi and bacteria that characterize the hive microbial environment and the honey bee hologenome. (3)
2) Authenticity testing
Due to the complex nature of honey and the different types of adulteration, its authentication has been challenging and prompted the development of several advanced analytical approaches. The large variation in the physical and chemical compositions of natural honey types with diverse origins, however, has caused unreliable or misinterpreted results of several methods of analysis. (4)
Authenticity tests therefore need to be validated in accordance with internationally accepted scientific protocols, and harmonised by standardisation bodies or internationally recognised scientific protocols, in order to provide reliable results with legal value. And at the time being, there are no harmonised tests for honey authenticity other than EA-IRMS and EA/LC-IRMS, that cover both C4 and C3 plant sugars. (5)
3) Honey ‘non-authenticity’ based on DNA testing, the lies spread in Europe
The mainstream media – including The Guardian – uncritically picked up on the press releases of the European Professional Beekeepers Association (EPBA), according to which a large proportion of the honey on the shelves of European supermarkets is counterfeit.
These allegations are based on the results from the experimental Honey Metagenomic DNA Analysis (MDA) performed by the laboratory of an Estonian startup, CELVIA CC AS, which are completely devoid of scientific and legal value, as already noted. (6)
4) Honey Metagenomic DNA Analysis
The analytical method using Honey Metagenomic DNA Analysis (MDA) – in contrast to the harmonized tests EA-IRMS and EA/LC-IRMS – is not validated nor accredited (ISO 17025). This method indeed:
-has not been independently tested for its robustness and accuracy;
-has so far provided results which have not been compared with other laboratories in comparative analyses;
-is based on a tiny and unknown database, mostly composed of Estonian honey samples. (6)
5) A ‘borderline case’
The CELVIA CC AS medical laboratory is not even accredited for honey analysis (ISO 17025). And it hasn’t answered the objections raised by renowned institutions, such as the Bee Institute in Celle, the University of Hohenheim, the State Institute of Apiculture, the German consumer organisation Stiftung Warentest, and the outstanding Food QS laboratory. (7)
‘Borderline case’ or ‘non-authentic’ is the verdict given by this non-accredited medical laboratory to honeys which didn’t match its tiny database, according to its AI-based comparison. The real question is whether a ‘borderline case’ is the result of experimental analysis on unknown samples of honey or the laboratory that performed those tests and publicised their unreliable results.
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) B. Lazarević, M.S. Jovetić, Ž.L. Tešić. Physicochemical parameters as a tool for the assessment of origin of honey. Journal of AOAC International, 100 (4) (2017), pp. 840-851, 10.5740/jaoacint.17-0143
(2) P.M. da Silva, C. Gauche, L.V. Gonzaga, A.C.O. Costa, R.Fett. Honey: Chemical composition, stability and authenticity. Food Chemistry, 196 (2016), pp. 309-323, 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.09.051
(3) Bromenshenk JJ, Carlson SR, Simpson JC, Thomas JM. Pollution monitoring of puget sound with honey bees. Science. 1985 Feb 8;227(4687):632-4. doi: 10.1126/science.227.4687.632. PMID: 17781823
(4) S. Soares, J.S. Amaral, M.B.P.P. Oliveira, I. Mafra. A comprehensive review on the main honey authentication issues: Production and origin. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 16 (5) (2017), pp. 1072-1100, 10.1111/1541-4337.12278
(5) Dario Dongo. Honey authenticity and analysis methods to be applied in the EU. GHO (Global Honey Organization). December 3, 2024 https://www.globalhoney.org/news-gho/honey-authenticity-and-analysis-methods-to-be-applied-in-the-eu/
(6) Dario Dongo. Honey authenticity, mainstream disinformation. FT (Food Times). November 10, 2024 https://www.foodtimes.eu/food-system-en/honey-authenticity-mainstream-disinformation/
(7) Dario Dongo. ‘Adultered honey’, FoodQS demolishes fake news. FT (Food Times). November 15, 2024 https://www.foodtimes.eu/food-system-en/adultered-honey-foodqs-demolishes-fake-news/
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
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