Bitter taste: U.K. beekeepers and scientists struggle to put a lid on honey fraud

UK beekepers fights honey fraud with the U.K. Honey Authenticity Network, warning of health risks and industry impact.

Lynne Ingram cuts a peaceful figure as she tends to a row of humming beehives in a leafy corner of Somerset, southwest England.

But the master beekeeper, who has been keeping hives for more than 40 years, has found herself in a fight against a tricky and evolving foe — honey fraudsters.

The practice of adulterating honey is well known, and adulterants such as ash and potato flour have been historically used.

Now, advancements in technology and science have made it much easier, with “bespoke, designer or bioengineered” syrups used as diluting agents capable of fooling authenticity tests, Ms. Ingram said.

She founded the U.K. Honey Authenticity Network (HAN U.K.) in 2021 to raise awareness about natural honey and warn of the threat posed by fraud.

“One of the impacts we are seeing all over the world is beekeepers going out of business,” she said.

Adulterated honey can be sold to retailers for a price several times lower than genuine producers can afford.