Never has honey been so scandalous!
If you've been watching the news at all you've likely already heard that Australia's honey industry is under the microscope.
Recent Testing undertaken at a leading international scientific lab specialising in honey fraud detection determined that almost half of the samples selected from Australian supermarket shelves were "adulterated" - meaning it has been mixed with something other than nectar from bees.
All of the 'adulterated' samples identified were also a blend of local and imported 'honey'.
The major headlines surrounding the topic have developed around the producer 'Capilano' and their 'Allowrie - Mixed Blossom Honey' with over half the samples from this range identified as 'adulterated' based on the testing method.
Capilano has rejected the claims that their honey is anything but pure, insisting that the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) method used to identify the impurities is inaccurate and unreliable.
Affected products are now being pulled from many major supermarket shelves as a precautionary method with Capilano's share price sliding as a result. The debate now rages as to whether or not the claims of 'fake honey' are legitimate.
I for one won't claim to know what the result will be here, however, regardless of the outcome I personally believe it highlights the importance as a producer of having an honest, transparent and reputable supply chain.
In a very proud and entirely shameless plug, one of my favourite aspects of owning a small business like The Bircher Bar is having such a close connection with our suppliers and customers.
The honey we use at The Bircher Bar is lovingly produced here in the Northern Rivers by Rebecca & Rob on their 'Sheer Falls' property in Pimlico. Rob is a 3rd generation bee-keeper and makes sure to not interfere with the natural production of the hives.
Everything is produced in small batches, completely unheated and gravity filtered - as pure as honey can get.
We are proud to say the least of supporting these guys and using their amazing honey for our Raw Honey jars and Infused Honey range. We are entirely confident that we are receiving 100% local Australian Honey - no fillers, no question marks and no controversy!
Sources:
2.) https://www.ballinahoney.com.au/about-us
