Nature India | Indigenus

Bitter honey

Now, even the humble honey has been declared as impure.

honey.jpg

After taking on colas and toys, New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment has now tested several popular Indian brands of honey to find that they are ‘contaminated with high levels of antibiotics’ fed to bees. Beekeepers use antibiotics to prevent diseases in honeybees, and as growth promoters.

In a release, the centre named at least five leading brands as having two to four antibiotics in their products, much above the stipulated standards. They also tested two brands from Australia and Switzerland and reported high levels of antibiotics in them. The Centre’s pollution monitoring laboratory found six antibiotics — oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, erythromycin, eurofloxacin and ciprofloxacin — in ‘almost all brands sold in the market’.

Chronic exposure to antibiotics can lead to a variety of health problems such as blood-related disorders and liver injury. Add to it the challenge of large-scale antibiotic resistance.

The lack of standards for Indian food products has come to question again. According to CSE, though honey is currently regulated under three legislations — Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Rules, 1955; Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Honey Grading and Marking Rules, 2008 under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937 (AGMARK) — they only lay down standards for its composition and quality. There are no standards for antibiotics or other contaminants in honey.

Interestingly, in June 2010, the EU had banned Indian honey from entering any of its 27 member countries because the consignments were contaminated with antibiotics and heavy metals.

Comments

  1. Report this comment

    G S KUMAR said:

    I am really surprised to know that even honey whcih is supposed to come in natural form is also contaminated because of the beekeepers’ selfishness to make money at any cost. As honey is used even by kids, I understand its effect on the health of all users. I hope the Indian government opens its eyes and takes immediate action. Already, vegetables and fruits are contaminated with different pesticides and chemical colours. What should a common man eat safely?

  2. Report this comment

    Suman said:

    I personally think that the government should look into this matter seriously. Also, it is very important to mantain a strict regulatory body to check the quality and saftey of any food product before it is sold to people. There must be a strict protocol for the manufacturing of any food product. After all, it is a matter of human saftey.

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    Rega said:

    Nice post. I’ve long heard that honey is good for health, but if if has been mixed with something dangerous, it would be very detrimental to our health.

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    merton.frank said:

    I am really surprised to know that even honey which is supposed to come in natural form is also contaminated because of the beekeepers’ selfishness to make money at any cost.