Honey marketed by prominent Indian brands failed a key test of purity

Honey marketed by prominent brands failed a key test of purity, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has claimed, citing an investigation it conducted on various brands of Indian honey.

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Key-Points

Current regulations specify around 18 parameters that honey must comply with for producers to label it ‘pure honey’.

Most brands passed muster but when subjected to one test, called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) that was done at a lab in Germany, only three brands passed: Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar. There were often multiple samples tested for each brand.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Test can ascertain the composition of a product at the molecular level)

The NMR test is not required by Indian law for honey that is being marketed locally but is needed for export.