Supreme Court Sends Notice to the Indian Government About 5 Honey Brands

Honey has long become a staple in our daily indulgences, from enhancing the flavor of our morning beverages to teas and sweets, but what if we told you that the honey you're drinking isn't up to snuff and may be tainted?

Is Honey safe to consume?

In an unexpected turn of events, the Supreme Court of India requested a response from the Centre and states on a petition seeking a permanent ban on all unlicensed honey processing, as well as companies and individuals engaged in illegal adulterated honey industry.

The Anti-Corruption Council of India Trust, through advocate Manju Jetley, cited a study from researchers at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), claiming that major Indian honey brands "are mixing honey with a tweaked sugar from China, bypassing certain simple tests used to detect adulteration in honey." After a short hearing, a bench led by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and including Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian gave notice on the plea.

"The majority of honey sold in India is adulterated with sugar syrup. As a result, instead of butter, people are consuming more sugar, which is extremely concerning since it would exacerbate health problems during Covid-19 "The plea continued.

Analysis and assertions

The plea argued that according to the news released, only three samples out of 70 passed the globally approved NMR spectroscopy inspection, and that spokespersons from Dabur, Patanjali, and Zandu declared that their honey brands met the regulatory specifications laid down by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and denied that their honey products were adulterated.

"This is a food hoax more sinister and complex than CSE discovered in its soft drink investigation in 2003 and 2006, more harmful to our health than maybe anything they have discovered to date, particularly given the fact that we are still facing a killer Covid-19 pandemic with our backs against the wall," the plea said.

The Case Against the Most Famous Honey Brands

The firms were also ordered to send investigative or evaluation reports of various honey brands or goods to the top court, according to the petition. "Research from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has claimed that major brands Dabur, Patanjali, and Zandu are selling honey adulterated with modified sugar from China that can circumvent some of the simple tests used to detect adulterated honey," the petition continued.