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Honey production, which was obtained by adding aroma to starch-based syrups, was banned in February. However, those who benefit from legal gaps continue fraudulent production.
Although the manufacturing of products that give the impression of honey by adding flavours or honey is banned in February, those who benefit from legal gaps continue to mislead the consumer by making fraudulent production.
A gap in the communique…
Özen Altıparmak, President of the Honey and Bee Products along with Healthy Life Platform Association (BALDER), said: “Imitation and adulteration are the leading problems in the honey category. In the Turkish Food Codex Non-Alcoholic Beverages Communiqué, it is said that ‘flavoured syrup cannot be produced by adding honey flavour’. However, the production of honey flavoured syrup continues by using legal gaps, these products are placed in jars.”
Due to its high economic value, honey is in the first place of foodstuffs where imitation and adulteration are most common. Honey-looking products, accepted as fraudulent and obtained by adding aroma to starch-based syrups, were permitted if indicated on the label. However, to eliminate this situation that caused controversy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry banned it by the Turkish Food Codex Regulation published on February 19, 2020.
Strict control required…
Although the cost of these honeys, which deceive the consumer, is low, this difference can be used as rent and sold at exorbitant prices.
Özen Altıparmak, Chairman of the Board of Altıparmak Food, which includes the Balparmak brand, noted, “It is not possible to tell whether these honeys are fake or not and even though their cost is between 5-10 TL, they can sell at low and sometimes high prices. The all-inclusive hotel system, places such as public consumption ones, hospitals, canteens and roadsides can be places where such imitation products are offered for sale. Because the possibility of control is quite troubled.”
Expressing that there has been an average of 15 percent annual increase in honey prices in the last two years, Altıparmak added, “We expect a similar increase in this year.”
By Gamze Bal,
www.cumhuriyet.com.tr
