Jamaica launches initiative to authenticate honey, combat fakes

Jamaica is taking steps to safeguard the reputation of its honey industry by implementing an authentication program. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining's Apiculture Unit announced that beekeepers and stakeholders will receive training on identifying genuine honey and navigating market regulations.

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We have collected 63 honey samples which will be analysed overseas, and the collected samples will be logged in a database. If you find a honey product, and it is named Jamaican honey, you can check in the database to see if it is Jamaican honey, so there is a reference point for the region that is now being built in terms of making sure that authentic Jamaican honey remains authentic and is not abused by other persons.

Hugh Smith, chief plant protection officer, revealed that 63 honey samples are being analyzed abroad to build a database. This database will allow consumers and businesses to verify if a product labeled "Jamaican honey" is indeed authentic. "We will also be enlightening the industry as to what this authentication programme is all about," Smith stated, emphasizing that the program aims to protect local honey from imposters.

The initiative comes as a response to the global issue of fake and adulterated honey. Smith noted that while fake honey isn't widespread in Jamaica, authentication is crucial as real honey prices rise. He cited a European Commission investigation that found nearly half of honey imported into the EU did not comply with authenticity standards, with many consignments suspected of being adulterated with sugars.

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We will also be enlightening the industry as to what this authentication programme is all about, and so we are expecting to have a session in another week or two on honey authentication. The beekeeping public, the traders, and all persons in the value chain will know exactly what is authentication of honey and how we can protect our local Jamaican honey from imposters and from persons using Jamaica’s name to say it is Jamaican when it is not.

Dennis McKay, chairman of the St. James Bee Farmers Association, highlighted the broader benefits of beekeeping, including honey-based products like hair oils and soaps, showcased at a recent event. The authentication program is expected to bolster the industry's credibility and economic potential.

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The European Union (EU) requires you to be able to say that your product is genuine, and internationally, the whole issue of fake honey is there, where they are synthesising or making a product and then packaging it and selling it as honey. The other issue is adulteration, where honey is being preyed upon by adding sweeteners and other things to the honey, but in real terms, it is not honey.