November 9, 2024, 7:42 p.m.

About 90% of honey fails authenticity tests as experts warn the food product is diluted with sugar syrup.

The honey industry is facing calls for an overhaul of its supply chain after testing showed nine out of 10 products were not authentic.

The Honey Authenticity Network sent 30 samples of British honey for testing last month.

24 of the retailer’s 25 jars of honey were considered suspicious.

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The British Honey Importers and Packers Association (BHIPA) has said a “weight of evidence” assessment must be used to protect their supply chains.

Last year, an EU investigation found that 46% of imported honey was suspected of being fraudulent.

The EU is set to adopt new laws to improve honey labeling and combat fraud.

Lynne Ingram, a beekeeper from Somerset and chair of the Honey Authenticity Network UK, told the Guardian: “The market is flooded with cheap imported adulterated honey and this is undermining the business of genuine honey producers.

“The public is misinformed because they buy what they think is real honey.”