The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has stepped up efforts to ensure consumers get unadulterated honey. In this regard, the food regulator has contacted the Central Bee Research and Training Institute (CBRTI) to analyse a large number of honey samples to collect evidence for any re-examining of the quality.
An official with the FSSAI said that data regarding a large number of samples of honey in India is needed and any re-examination essentially has to be evidence based.
FSSAI, in a reply to FNB News, stated, “FSSAI has contacted CBRTI and all India manufacturers of honey to provide test result data available with them. An institutional study is also being commissioned to take samples from all over the country and get them tested. The data that becomes available will be presented before concerned scientific panels and necessary amendments in thresholds, if needed, will be carried out.”
The Ministry of Agriculture and National Bee Board have also asked FSSAI if any other test methods were available to reliably detect addition of fructose and glucose to honey.
Officials with FSSAI, though, say that the best method to rule out any adulteration of honey is to develop a traceability network and the Ministry of Agriculture is already working on this aspect and has been requested to expedite the same.
Meanwhile, FSSAI has issued instructions to Customs and FSSAI import officials to make end-use declaration of all kinds of sugar syrups mandatory at the time of import. All relevant HS codes have already been enumerated and circulated.
FSSAI claimed that as on date, FSSAI’s standards are more stringent as compared to other food regulators or international agencies.
Also according to the FSSAI, it has issued earlier a direction to import offices to obtain end-user declaration specifically for golden syrup, invert syrup and rice syrup. This order was issued on May 26, 2020). Besides, FSSAI through its regulatory compliance division also issued directions to Food Safety Commissioners of all the states on December 22, 2019, June 18, 2020, and again in December 2020 to enhance surveillance/sampling and enforcement to check the use (for otherwise) of sugar syrups in honey.