Scientists have developed a way to spot fake honey without opening the jar – by shining light through it. The research was led by Dr. Maria Anastasiadi, a lecturer in bioinformatics. She shared with Express: “Honey can easily be targeted by fraudsters, costing honest suppliers money and undermining trust.
Our method is a quick and efficient tool to identify suspicious samples, helping to protect consumers and the supply chain.”
Fake honey is made from various ingredients intended to substitute or blend with natural honey to reduce costs or increase profits. It can be made from substances such as cane sugar, corn syrup, glucose, or other similar-tasting syrups.
Signs of fake honey:
Viscosity and color: Genuine honey tends to have a viscosity and color that varies depending on the season and floral source. Fake honey may have unnatural colors and viscosity, often consistent and unchanged over time.
Taste and smell: Real honey has a rich and unique flavor profile, whereas fake honey often tastes monotonously sweet and lacks distinctive aromas.
Crystallization: Natural honey has a tendency to crystallize over time, especially when stored at lower temperatures. Fake honey usually doesn’t crystallize or does so very minimally.
Home tests: Some simple tests include dropping honey into water to see if it dissolves quickly, burning a small amount of honey with a candle wick to check its flammability, or dripping honey onto paper to observe water absorption.
Identifying Authentic Honey: Unmasking the Differences Between Pure and Impure
In order to differentiate between pure honey and fake or inferior honey, buyers can rely on the solubility of a drop of honey or its aroma.
