The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission says it has found no evidence to support claims that Capilano’s ‘Allowrie’ honey was adulterated, although honey testing methods remain under the spotlight.
The investigation followed allegations in the media that a number of honey products including Capilano’s ‘Allowrie’ honey, labelled ‘pure’ and ‘100 per cent honey’, were adulterated with sugar syrup.
The ACCC investigation only focused on Capilano’s blended imported and Australian honey product under the Allowrie and certain supermarket private label brands and looked into allegations that Capilano Honey breached Australian Consumer Law.
The allegations of adulteration of honey products including Capilano's Allowrie honey were based on results from testing using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).
NMR testing is used for a variety of applications but has only recently emerged as a testing method for honey adulteration. The C4 test is currently the standard in Australian honey testing.
The ACCC says it is advised that NMR testing is not yet reliable enough to determine whether honey is adulterated and therefore should not be used as a basis to support legal action. This is consistent with the approach of regulators in the UK, US and the EU.
The ACCC’s investigation found Capilano had taken steps to provide assurance, and did not uncover any other evidence that supported the allegation Capilano’s Allowrie honey was adulterated with sugar syrup.
“During the course of our investigation however, it also became evident that there is low confidence in the current test method (the C4 test) used to detect adulterated honey,” ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said.
“Governments and research agencies around the world are investigating alternative testing methods, including NMR, but these are not yet developed to the point they can be used with sufficient confidence.”
Since 2015, the Department of Agriculture has tested imported honey using the C4 test, which the ACCC says did not detect adulteration in ‘Allowrie’ honey or some supermarket private-label products.
“The ACCC understands that where there are different tests for honey products that produce different results, it can cause significant frustration among consumers and industry,” Keogh said.
“We understand the Department of Agriculture, which is best placed to determine the most appropriate form of honey testing, is reviewing testing standards.”
Saying that it's important that consumers have confidence in the claims made about the foods they purchase, including honey, the ACCC is urging the honey industry and the Department of Agriculture to develop an agreed approach to testing, and to implement more robust programs to provide greater assurance about the integrity of their products.
