“It is long past time to take political action to protect local beekeepers and consumers from cheap counterfeit honey that may even contain ingredients that are harmful to health. “We libertarians called for tightening up of labels of origin for honey years ago,” emphasized FPÖ consumer protection spokesman NAbg today. Peter Worm. The Freedom Party warned several times about adulterated honey in inquiries from 2021 and 2022.
“Our applications were postponed and the responsible ministers sat on their hands. Our suspicion, which has existed for years, that there is not honey in everything that says honey on it, is now confirmed by a current honey test, which is almost a ‘revealing oath’ for the government’s inaction,” continued Wurm. Instead of taking quick measures itself, the government waited for the “EU Breakfast Directive”. “How this is actually implemented is in the hands of the member states, which is why there is an urgent need for action on the part of the government. “Farmers, entrepreneurs and consumers must no longer be the victims of the government’s inaction!” Wurm reiterates his call for strict measures to be implemented quickly.
Domestic beekeepers have long been suffering from competition from cheap mass imports of inferior honey. Industrial production in particular leads to drastic price pressure. In China, the world’s largest honey producer, for example, it is customary to produce honey in laboratories. Of course, EU standards are not adhered to – on the contrary: if real honey is used, it is often diluted with rice, glucose or corn syrup, explained Wurm.
According to the current DNA-based honey test initiated by the “konkret” editorial team, 23 of 31 honey samples examined turned out to be fake or not authentically composed – keyword sugar syrup. “In view of these results, when you reach for the supermarket shelf, it is more likely that a counterfeit or adulterated product will end up in your shopping cart rather than real honey – a situation that must be ended today rather than tomorrow, also in the interests of our beekeepers. Because at the end of the day, high-quality and cost-intensive production that meets all honey criteria in tests de facto leads to a punishment for every single beekeeper and to the displacement of local honey from the market. That can’t be the case!” said the FPÖ consumer protection spokesman.
Further links:
https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/A/2908/imfname_1479164.pdf
https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/J/8280/imfname_1003256.pdf
https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/J/12702/imfname_1475490.pdf
OTS ORIGINAL TEXT PRESS RELEASE UNDER THE EXCLUSIVE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SENDER FOR CONTENT – WWW.OTS.AT | FPK