Honey is one of the world’s oldest foods, but the product in a jar may not always be pure. Honey fraud occurs when cheap sugar syrup is added to or replaces honey entirely. This practice, known as honey adulteration, lowers production costs but misleads consumers and harms honest beekeepers. In 2023, a European Commission investigation found apparent signs of adulteration in 46% of more than 300 imported honey samples. However, experts say the true rate of honey fraud remains unknown because fake honey is extremely difficult to identify.

Natural honey contains hundreds or even thousands of trace substances. Its chemical makeup varies depending on the flowers bees visit, the region where it was produced, beekeeping practices, and processing methods. This natural variation can make genuine honey appear suspicious during laboratory testing.

The only internationally standardized honey test examines carbon ratios. It can detect corn and sugar-cane syrups, but rice and sugar-beet syrups are harder to identify because their carbon ratios resemble those of honey.

Scientists are therefore developing additional methods, including nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, DNA analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and machine learning. Because no single method detects every adulterant, experts recommend combining several tests with supply-chain records. Shared standards, clearer labels, and industry cooperation could also help fight honey fraud worldwide.