Contaminated and adulterated 'Branded' India's Honey

NEW DELHI: That spoonful of “guaranteed pure” sweetness may be hiding a bitter secret. Branded honey sold in India is likely to be contaminated with harmful antibiotics, according to a new study by the Centre for Science and Environment.

CSE’s Pollution Monitoring Laboratory tested 12 leading brands of honey sold in Delhi, including those made by Indian companies such as Dabur, Himalaya, Patanjali, Baidyanath and Khadi as well as by two foreign companies based in Switzerland and Australia. Scientists found high levels of six harmful antibiotics in 11 samples, with only the Indian Hitkari brand coming out clean.

The contamination is the end result of a murky chain, which begins when antibiotics are fed to bees to prevent disease, promote growth and increase honey production to meet commercial targets. When they make their way into your daily spoonful of honey, these substances could damage the blood, kidneys, liver, bones and teeth. More importantly, they create resistance in the body to prescribed antibiotics when you really do fall ill, says the CSE report.

Most developed countries have banned or strictly regulated antibiotics in honey, and Indian companies must meet those standards when they export their products. However, in a stinging example of double standards, most Indian companies are dumping their contaminated honey on the domestic market, since there are no regulations here, says the CSE.

Dabur Honey — which has captured 75 per cent of the Indian market — had the antibiotic Oxytetracycline at nine times the level that is permitted for exported honey. It also had significant amounts of two other drugs completely banned for use in honey. If the sample was placed for export to the U.S. or the European Union, it would have been rejected.

Interestingly, Dabur was recently involved in a controversy in Nepal, where leading newspapers claimed that its honey was substandard and used harmful chemicals. The company dismissed it as part of a “smear campaign” against Indian products, but the sticky claim has now come from an Indian source.

Nectaflor Natural Blossom Honey, made by Narimpex of Switzerland, had the largest number — five — of the six antibiotics that it was tested for, including the highest levels of ampicillin and erythromycin, both of which are not permitted for beekeeping in any country. It would be illegal to sell it even in Switzerland itself. Similarly, Australian brand Capilano Pure & Natural Honey, sold in 40 countries, violated standards set in its home country.

“It is clear that foreign companies are taking advantage of the lack of regulations in India. After all, if our government does not care about the health of its people, why should these companies care?” said CSE director Sunita Narain, at the release of the study on Wednesday.

“We have standards for antibiotic contamination in the honey we export. The government even tests and certifies that exported honey meets health and safety regulations. But we do not have any standards for domestic honey. This is clearly unacceptable,” she said.

www.hindu.com/2010/09/16/stories/2010091661730900.htm

Unhealthy bitter truths about honey in India

An environmental action group has found several commonly available brands of honey to contain high levels of antibiotics.

Several leading brands of honey – Dabur, Baidyanath, Patanjali Ayurveda, Khadi Gramodyog, and Himalaya – had high levels of two to four antibiotics, according an investigation done by the Centre for Science and Environment.

Antibiotics have been found in brands from Australia and Switzerland, too. These include Capilano Pure, Natural Honey and Nectaflor Natural Blossom Honey, which contain the maximum number of antibiotics.

Other lesser known Indian brands – Mehsons Pure Honey, Himflora Gold, Gold Honey and Umang Honey – also contain antibiotics. Just one brand – Hitkari – was free of antibiotics.

All the samples were collected from markets in Delhi and tested for the presence of six antibiotics – Oxytetracycline, Chloramphenicol ( which is banned in most countries for use in animals), Ampicillin, Enrofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin and Erythromycin.

“The beekeeping industry uses antibiotics to control and prevent diseases. These drugs find their way to the bees. Drugs are also used as growth promoters to increase production of honey.

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NEW DELHI: Popular honey brands in the country are allegedly contaminated with high levels of antibiotics which are bad for health, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed on Wednesday. The Delhi-based NGO said its study found antibiotics in almost all brands sold in the market. Leading honey producers — Dabur, Baidyanath, Patanjali Ayurveda, Khadi, Himalaya — all had two to four antibiotics in their products, much above the stipulated standards, the study claimed. 

Two foreign brands from Australia and Switzerland, had high levels of antibiotics, it added. “We have standards for antibiotic contamination in the honey we export. Government tests and certifies that exported honey meets health and safety regulations. But we do not have any standards for domestic honey. This is unacceptable,” Sunita Narain, director at CSE, said at a press briefing.

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