Best Honey Brand, and Brands that Failed Purity Test in India

India is one of the leading consumers of honey. In order to fulfil the growing demand of honey across the country and to make their own profit, various honey manufacturing companies adulterate their honey with sugar syrups or low quality honey. Have you ever found yourself stuck in a supermarket thinking if the patanjali or dabur honey is pure or not? In this article, let us explore the Indian honey brands that have failed and passed the honey purity test. Also, know about the various parameters and their permissible limits on which the purity of honey is tested.

Purity test of the Indian honey brands by Consumer Affairs

The Indian department of Consumer affairs conducted an authenticity test on the top 10 leading brands of honey at the NABL-accredited laboratory. According to a study conducted by the Consumer Affairs most of the honey brands in India failed in the purity test of honey, that is, most of the samples of honey were found to be adulterated or had composition that deviated from the permissible limits set by FSSAI.The honey brands that were considered for the study are tabulated below:

Various parameters of honey like C4 sugar, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), fructose/ glucose ratio, total energy value, total reducing sugars, total plate count, moisture, acidity, antibiotics, optical density, specific gravity, ash and water-insoluble matter were evaluated.

Inference drawn by Consumer Affairs

According to the consumer affairs, none of the brands selected for the study can be considered as good or pure forms of honey. All the brands outruled one or the other testing parameter of purity.

Response of companies to allegations on adulteration

These purity tests attacked the leading honey manufacturers in India who almost refused to accept the allegations put forward by the diagnostic tests. The responses of some of the major brands of honey in India are as follows:

• Dabur: According to Dabur, the honey produced by their company is 100% pure and is tested using the NMR equipment owned by the laboratory themselves. 
• Patanjali: Patanjali claims that the honey produced by their company is 100% pure as per the standards of FSSAI. According to Patanjali, these tests are a way to defame the Indian natural honey industry.
• Emami: The Zandu honey produced by Emami ensures that the honey produced by them follows all the protocol, norms and standards set by the Government of India and authorities like FSSAI.
• 24 Mantra: This honey is produced by Sresta Natural Bioproducts Pvt. Ltd. According to the company, all their products are tested in accredited labs before they are sent to the market.

Benefits of pure honey

Honey in its pure and unadulterated form offers various health benefits. The major benefits of honey include:

• Anti-viral properties
• Antimicrobial effect
• Anti-parasitic properties
• Rich in vitamin A, C, calcium, iron, and antioxidants
• Helps strengthen your immune system
• Provides relief from cough
• Heals your wounds and burns
• Help suppress seasonal allergies
• Provides skin nourishment

Takeaway 

Adulteration of food substances is an issue of concern in recent times. Honey being adulterated with sugar syrup or low quality honey dissolves all the health benefits of pure honey. Now that you know which brand produces more pure honey than the others available in the market, make sure that you choose a comparatively purer form of honey to avail the maximum benefits of honey.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which type of honey is best for consumption?

   Honey in its raw form is the healthiest form of honey that you should consume.

2. How can we identify real honey?

   There are various tests that you can perform at your home to check the purity of honey. The general characteristics of pure honey include:

   • It trickles in the form of stream
   • It is dense
   • It is soft in texture
   • It does not separate into layers
   • It has a sweet aroma

3. Which is better: Raw honey or organic honey?

   Well, if you are choosing from raw or organic honey, then raw honey is always a better choice with respect to its health benefits, taste and environment.

4. Is organic honey 100% pure?

   Yes, organic honey is 100% pure with no corn syrup, sweetener or any other additive added to it. Organic honey offers health benefits similar to non-organic honey of the same quality.

5. Is there any other purity test done on Indian brands manufacturing honey?

   The Center for Science and Environment (CSE) also conducted an NMR test in Germany to evaluate the purity of Indian honey brands that were published in The Hindu. According to this test, around 77% of the samples of honey were observed to be adulterated with sugar syrup. The NMR test is one of the key tests done to detect the presence of sugar syrup in the sample. A total of 13 brands of honey were tested, out of which 10 brands failed the test and only 3 brands of honey passed the NMR purity test. The honey brands that passed the NMR test are Markfed Sohna, Saffola and Nature’s Nectar.