Beyond Honey Fraud: Why You Should Never Buy a “Blended” Jar

Europe’s honey market is in turmoil. Recent studies show that almost half of imported honey is adulterated with cheap sugar syrups. The EU is responding with new rules, but consumers can already make a difference. It starts with one word on the label: “blended”.

The problem with “Blended EU and non-EU honey”

In most supermarkets, honey labels use one of the following vague terms:

• "Blended EU honey"
• "Blended non-EU honey"
• "Blended EU and non-EU honey"

These designations, which are permitted under the old EU guidelines, are not transparent. They give consumers no insight into the actual origin or, crucially, the proportions of honey from the different countries.

For example, a jar may contain 99% cheap honey from a country with a high risk of fraud and 1% expensive EU honey, yet the vague “blended” designation is legally sufficient. This lack of transparency makes it very easy to market cheap, diluted honey in Europe.

Shocking results: Honey adulterated with sugar syrups

This lack of transparency has major consequences. Coordinated EU investigations found that a significant proportion of honey imported into Europe did not meet the definition of honey because it had been diluted with cheap sugar syrups, such as rice, wheat, or beet syrup. This is pure fraud that undercuts beekeepers who comply with the rules and deceives consumers.

This “fake honey” is cheaper to produce, does not have the same nutritional and medicinal properties as pure honey, and puts the entire beekeeping sector at risk.

1. European Coordinated Investigation (2023): The European Commission’s report on the coordinated action "From the Hives" (carried out in 2021–2022). This investigation revealed that 46% of the tested batches of imported honey were suspected of adulteration with added sugar syrups.
2. European Parliament and Council (2024): The political agreement on the revision of the "Breakfast Directives" (Honey Directive). This confirms that the EU is tightening legislation to address fraud and the lack of transparency regarding countries of origin and their percentages.
3. Type of fraud: News articles and scientific analyses by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) confirm that the adulteration primarily involved the use of cheap sugar syrups, such as rice syrup or beet syrup, to dilute the honey.

The organic guarantee and inspection

You may wonder how the inspection process works, especially for organic honey.

Our honey carries organic certification. This means that inspections in Bulgaria and subsequently in the EU are particularly strict. Organic certification bodies check not only for the absence of pesticides and antibiotics, but also:

• The bees must collect nectar within a 3-kilometre zone free from pesticides and pollution (no motorways, no industry).
• Supplementary feeding during periods of scarcity is permitted only with organic honey or organic sugar.
• Chemical treatments and the use of antibiotics are prohibited to protect the health of the bees.
• Processing must preserve the honey’s natural composition and nutritional value.
• The finished product is strictly tested for purity (no added sugar syrups) and for the absence of chemical residues and antibiotics.
• Complete records are mandatory so that the honey can be traced from the jar back to the original beehive.
  

The future: Clearer labels are on the way

The good news is that the European Union has responded to the widespread fraud. A political agreement has recently been reached on the revision of the labelling rules, known as the “Breakfast Directives”.

In the future, blended honey will have to:

1. List the countries of origin on the label.
2. State the percentage share for each country, in descending order.

This is a major victory for consumers and honest beekeepers. However, these new rules are not yet in force.

Make a difference now

You do not have to wait for new legislation to be sure of your honey’s quality. The solution is simple: Buy honey with a transparent ingredients list

Our honey is 100% organic Bulgarian blossom honey. Not blended, completely transparent, and directly traceable.