Counterfeit honey crisis revealed in Finland as 60% of imported samples found to be fake

Approximately 60% of the imported honey on Finnish store shelves that originates from outside the EU is fake, according to samples collected by the European Professional Beekeepers Association (EPNA) in August. The imported honey samples were analyzed using a new DNA testing method in Estonia, confirming that domestic honey samples were authentic.

The Finnish Beekeepers Association emphasizes that such counterfeit products qualify as food fraud. Rami Heikkilä, the association’s chairman, explained that fake honey may contain significantly cheaper sugar syrup mixed in.

Counterfeit honey was first exposed in Europe a couple of years ago when EU authorities conducted investigations between 2021 and 2022, revealing that a considerable portion of honey imported from outside Europe was fraudulent. At that time, there were no samples taken in Finland as no foreign honey had been imported.

The recent findings from the samples collected by EPNA this summer reinforce concerns that counterfeiting persists, with fake products appearing on store shelves. For instance, in Germany, 80% of honey imported from outside the EU was identified as counterfeit.

Heikkilä noted that most of the fraudulent honey comes primarily from Asia, particularly China. He explained that authentic honey can be identified through DNA analysis, which reveals plant-based particles and pollen grains collected by bees from flowers. If pollen is absent or if other substances are present, it raises suspicion of fraud.

Heikkilä stated that the Finnish retail sector has been aware of the sampling and counterfeit concerns. However, the association lacks specific information on the extent of sampling in Finland and the percentage of domestic versus foreign honey tested. Honey is the second most commonly adulterated food product globally, following olive oil.