Fake honey from Asia floods Tunisian market, threatening local beekeepers

Tunisia's beekeeping industry is under threat from a surge of counterfeit honey, which farmers' unions describe as a major economic and health hazard. Imed Ouadhour, secretary general of the Regional Union of Farmers of Bizerte, denounced the massive influx of fake honey, primarily industrial sugar syrups from China and India, being sold as genuine.

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A major economic and health threat weighs on the Tunisian apiculture sector.

These fraudulent products, often marketed aggressively online, are sold at significantly lower prices than authentic Tunisian honey, which typically ranges from 45 to 60 dinars per jar. This "commercial dumping" not only destabilizes local beekeeping operations but also damages the reputation of honest Tunisian beekeepers. Ouadhour stated that these imported products have no biological connection to natural honey derived from bees.

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These products have no biological link to natural honey derived from bees' foraging.

The health implications are also a serious concern. Ouadhour noted that ordinary consumers cannot easily detect the fraud using traditional methods, leaving the public vulnerable. Many individuals purchase honey for therapeutic purposes, and consuming these fake products could endanger their health. The union is demanding immediate government intervention, including the enforcement of strict labeling protocols that clearly identify imported products as "industrial honey" or "honey-flavored preparations."

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This commercial dumping weakens Tunisian farms and casts an unjustified discredit on the honesty of national beekeepers.