Honey is one of the top ten “fake foods” in the world, foods with compromised quality that are sold to unsuspecting consumers. But if it’s Taiwanese honey you’re buying, there will soon be a surefire way to tell whether it’s the real deal.
Honey farmed in Taiwan will soon be getting a stamp of recognition from the government. On Friday, the Council of Agriculture said that the goal of the program is to make sure consumers can tell real honey from fake.
The council says that as honey grows in popularity in Taiwan, the country must import as much as 12,000 tons of honey per year in order to keep honey lovers happy. Even as local beekeepers scramble to keep up with demand, about a third of the honey sold in Taiwan each year still needs to be imported.
Under these circumstances, there is a real temptation to mix in cheap syrup in order to keep costs low and to keep honey on the shelves. Some consumers have voiced their worries about accidentally buying fake Taiwanese honey to the council.
That’s why the council is adding honey to its list of Traceable Agricultural Products. The certification will be shown in the form of a QR code on jars of honey. By scanning the code, consumers can see the production history of each batch of honey.
At a council event announcing the honey certification program, skits were performed to teach consumers how to identify real and fake honey. Real honey is clouded and will taste a bit acidic when added to hot water, whereas fake honey is clear and will taste sweeter.