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Honey sold by major brands is laced with sugar syrup, says CSE

HONEY SOLD by major brands in India are laced with a modified sugar syrup, imported from China as well as manufactured in India, which go undetected during quality checks under prevailing Indian standards, a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) investigation has found. The major brands named by CSE include Dabur and Patanjali. Both have rejected the charges. The CSE also released a paper trail showing revisions in the Indian quality standards for honey brought about by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) between 2017 and 2020. When contacted, the FSSAI said it will study the findings published by the CSE and take necessary action. Addressing a press conference Wednesday, CSE director general Sunita Narain said samples of 10 out of 13 brands, which were examined, failed to clear the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test, which can provide clues into the composition of a product at the molecular level. Of the 10 brands, three failed to clear even Indian quality standards, while five failed the TMR (test to detect rice syrup) apart from NMR. The tests were carried out in a German lab, Narain said. Incidentally, on August 1, NMR tests were made mandatory for honey being exported from India. Also, TMR tests were removed from the list of quality parameters in October 2019. The German lab found that “Dabur honey passed tests for C3 and C4 sugar, but failed the NMR tests on all three samples. In one sample it also failed on TMR and Patanjali honey passed tests for C3 and C4 sugar, but failed TMR and NMR tests on both samples”. In its response, Dabur India Ltd said, “The recent reports seem motivated and aimed at maligning our brand. We assure our consumers that Dabur Honey is 100% pure. We also assure our consumers that Dabur does not import any honey/syrup from China and our honey is sourced entirely from Indian beekeepers.” “Dabur is complying with the 22 parameters… mandated by FSSAI. In addition, Dabur Honey is also tested for the presence of antibiotics, as mandated by FSSAI. Further, Dabur is the only company in India to have an NMR testing equipment in our own laboratory,” it added. Patanjali Ayurved Ltd MD Acharya Balakrishnan also stressed on the “100 per cent purity” of the company’s product. “It seems to be a plot to defame Indian natural honey industry and manufacturers in a bid to promote processed honey. It further seems to be an international marketing design to promote German technology and machines which cost crores of rupees,” he said.

Honey sold by major brands in India adulterated with sugar syrup: CSE

As of August 1, 2020, NMR tests have been made mandatory The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) investigation on Wednesday has revealed that "nefarious adulteration business of honey designed to bypass purity tests and massive implications for our health during COVID-19 times". The CSE investigations with laboratory studies in India and Germany revealed that "rampant adulteration in honey sold by major brands in India—77 per cent of samples founds adulterated with sugar syrup," a said CSE statement. "Only three out of 13 brands pass the internationally accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test. Indian standards for honey purity cannot detect the adulteration. This is because Chinese companies have designed sugar syrups to bypass these standards," according to the Centre for Science and Environment, which earlier, unearthed pesticides in major soft-drinks. "This food fraud severely compromises public health in the troubled times of COVID-19. Indians today are consuming more honey because they believe in its intrinsic goodness – antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties – and to build immunity against the virus". "But if it is adulterated honey, what we are eating is sugar, which will add to the challenge of overweight and obesity, which in turn makes us more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection," said CSE Director General Sunita Narain.

शहद पर सवाल:CSE के टेस्ट में पतंजलि-डाबर समेत 13 कंपनियों के शहद फेल, बालकृष्ण बोले- ये बदनाम करने की साजिश

सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरमेंट (CSE) ने देश में ब्रांडेड शहद की जांच की है। पतंजलि, डाबर, बैद्यनाथ और झंडू जैसे मशहूर ब्रांड्स के शहद टेस्ट में फेल हो गए हैं। CSE की जांच में इन कंपनियों के शहद में 77% मिलावट पाई गई है। पता चला है कि इसमें चीनी मिलाई गई है। हालांकि, डाबर और पतंजलि ने इस जांच पर ही सवाल उठा दिए हैं। कंपनियों का कहना है कि इस जांच का मकसद हमारे ब्रांड्स की छवि खराब करना है और ये प्रायोजित लगती है। कंपनियों ने दावा किया कि हम भारत में ही प्राकृतिक तौर पर मिलने वाला शहद इकट्ठा करते हैं और उसी को बेचते हैं। इसे बिना चीनी या और कोई चीज मिलाए पैक किया जाता है। कंपनियों ने कहा कि शहद की जांच के लिए फूड सेफ्टी एंड स्टैंडर्ड अथॉरिटी (FSSAI) के नियमों और मानकों का पूरा ध्यान रखा जाता है। डाबर के प्रवक्ता ने कहा कि हमारा शहद 100 फीसदी शुद्ध और देसी है। हाल में जो रिपोर्ट सामने आई हैं, वो प्रायोजित लगती हैं लाखों किसानों को दरकिनार करने की साजिश- बालकृष्ण पतंजलि आयुर्वेद के मैनेजिंग डायरेक्टर आचार्य बालकृष्ण ने कहा- यह भारत के प्राकृतिक शहद बनाने वाली इंडस्ट्री को बदनाम करने की साजिश लगती है ताकि प्रोसेस्ड शहद को प्रमोट किया जा सके। यह विलेज कमीशन और खादी के जरिए लाखों ग्रामीण किसानों द्वारा बनाए जा रहे शहद की जगह प्रोसेस्ड, आर्टिफिशियल, वैल्यू एडेड शहद को लाने की साजिश है। हम 100 फीसदी प्राकृतिक शहद बनाते हैं। यह FSSAI के 100 से ज्यादा मानकों पर भी खरा उतरा है। CSE की जांच में मिलावट का चाइनीज कनेक्शन जांच में पता चला कि अलीबाबा जैसे चाइनीज पोर्टल पर ऐसे सिरप की बिक्री हो रही है, जो टेस्ट को सरपास कर सकते हैं। चीनी कंपनियां फ्रक्टोज के नाम पर ये सिरप भारत को एक्सपोर्ट करती हैं। शहद में इसी सिरप की मिलावट के प्रमाण मिले हैं। CSE ने कहा है कि 2003 और 2006 में सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक में जांच के दौरान जो मिलावट पाई गई थी, उससे भी खतरनाक मिलावट शहद में हो रही है। यह मिलावट हमारे स्वास्थ्य को और नुकसान पहुंचाने वाली है। CSE ने कहा- हमारी रिसर्च में पता चला कि बाजार में बिक रहा शहद मिलावट वाला है। शहद के मुकाबले लोग चीनी ज्यादा खा रहे हैं। इससे कोविड का जोखिम बढ़ गया है, क्योंकि चीनी सीधे मोटापे से जुड़ा मामला है। पिछले साल FSSAI ने आयातकों और राज्यों के खाद्य कमिश्नर को चेतावनी दी थी कि गोल्डन सिरप, इनवर्ट शुगर सिरप और राइस सिरप को इम्पोर्ट कर शहद में मिलाया जा रहा है।

Honey sold by leading Indian brands adulterated with sugar syrup: Centre for Science and Environment

Several leading honey brands sold in India have failed adulteration tests in Germany, an investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed on Wednesday. The CSE study revealed that almost all the brands of honey being sold in Indian markets are adulterated with sugar syrup as 77 per cent of samples in the tests were found adulterated. "It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now - keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting againsgt a killer Covid-19 pandemic with our backs to the wall," said CSE Director General Sunita Narain.

Dabur, Patanjali, and Emami decry a study that found what you buy is not all honey

A report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claims that most big Indian brands, including Dabur, Patanjali and Emami, are selling adulterated honey. And that these brands failed an adulteration test carried out by a foreign laboratory. 10 out of 13 honey brands have failed the ‘purity test, the investigation by CSE reveals. However, companies have refuted these allegations. In an email statement to Business Insider, Dabur said that “the recent reports seem motivated and aimed at maligning our brand.” Indian billionaire businessman Acharya Balkrishan from Patanjali also called the report “a plot to defame Indian natural honey industry.” And, added that it might be a way of promoting German technology in India. Top branded honey producers in India, including Dabur, Patanjali, and Emami are allegedly selling adulterated honey with a modified sugar, according to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). It claims that the big brands failed an adulteration test carried out by a foreign laboratory. However, the leading Indian brands have denied these reports calling them malicious and baseless; and that they comply with the guidelines laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In an email statement to Business Insider, Dabur said that the recent reports “seem motivated and aimed at maligning our brand. We assure our consumers that Dabur Honey is 100% Pure. It is 100% indigenous, collected naturally from Indian sources and packed with no added sugar or other adulterants.” The manufacturer of Zandu Pure Honey, Emami also said that its “honey conforms and adheres to all the protocols and quality norms/standards laid down by the Government of India and its authorized entities such as FSSAI.” Indian billionaire businessman Acharya Balkrishan from Patanjali has called the report “a plot to defame Indian natural honey industry.” He also added that it might be a way of promoting German technology in India. CSE investigates how the brands adulterated honey The CSE investigation reveals that the companies mixed the naturally acquired honey from bees with sugar syrup procured from rice, corn, beetroot, and sugarcane and passed them off as pure. It also added that almost all brands of honey being sold in Indian markets are adulterated with sugar syrup. The organisation said the repeated use of the terms fructose and glucose on Chinese websites prompted them to look at the imports of these from China.And, when they checked Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry export import database, the two of the FSSAI named syrups — rice syrup and golden syrup — could not be found. However, “Invert sugar” had an HS code but limited shipments. These are the findings: The adulterated honey passed tests of purity when first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. However, when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) laboratory tests, which is currently used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups – almost all big and small brands failed, the report said. 77% of the samples were found to be adulterated with addition of sugar syrup. Out of 22 samples tested, only five passed all the tests. Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR test. Only 3 out of the 13 brands – Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar (one out of two samples) — passed all the tests. CSE raises the red flag The director general of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Sunita Narain said, “It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now – keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting against a killer COVID-19 pandemic with our backs to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse.”

Dabur, Patanjali among 13 brands adulterating honey with sugar syrup: CSE study

Environment watchdog Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed on Wednesday that honey sold by 13 major brands in India including Dabur has been found adulterated with sugar syrup. Dabur, however, has rejected the allegation in a statement issued today. Food researchers at CSE selected 13 top brands and some smaller brands that sell processed and raw honey in India to check their purity. The researchers found that 77 per cent of the samples were adulterated with sugar syrup. Out of the 22 samples that were checked, only five passed all the tests. The CSE study said honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya failed NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test. The samples of these brands were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. The CSE said almost all the top brands passed the tests of purity while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar or basic adulteration using cane sugar. However, when the same brands were tested using NMR — laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups — almost all the big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands, only three passed the NMR test conducted by a specialised laboratory in Germany. The three brands are Saffola, MarkfedSohna and Nature's Nectar (one out of two samples). "What we found was shocking. It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE's Food Safety and Toxins team, said. Dabur rejects study A Business Today report said Dabur has refuted the findings of the study. As per the Dabur's statement, it is the only company in India to have an NMR testing equipment in its own laboratory. It is worth mentioning that Dabur’s statement also included an attachment of an NMR test report from Germany-based Bruker BioSpin GmbH, dated July 16, 2020. It stated that Dabur Honey had passed the NMR test. The NMR tests have been made mandatory in India for honey that is meant for export as of August 1, 2020. This suggests that the government had an idea about the adulteration by some companies and sought advanced tests to determine the purity of honey. An Emami spokesperson said that the Zandu Pure Honey “conforms and adheres” to all protocols and quality norms and standards laid down by the Government of India and its authorised entities such as FSSAI. However, unlike Dabur, it did not comment on the NMR test which is considered the global standard. Meanwhile, an Apis Himalaya spokesperson replied saying that the company will not comment immediately but will hold a press conference. CSE Director-General Sunita Narain said an additional undercover operation was conducted to find out more details. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she said.

CSE stands by its report on adulteration of honey sold by Dabur, Patanjali in India

Honey sold by several major brands in India has been found adulterated with sugar syrup, environment watchdog Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claimed on Wednesday. CSE food researchers selected 13 top as well as smaller brands of processed and raw honey being sold in India to check their purity. It was found that 77 per cent of the samples were adulterated with the addition of sugar syrup. Out of the 22 samples checked, only five passed all the tests. "Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test," the study said. Samples of these brands were first tested by the CSE at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. According to the Centre for Science and Environment, almost all the top brands passed the tests of purity, while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar--it is the basic adulteration using cane sugar. "But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany," it claimed. "What we found was shocking. It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE's Food Safety and Toxins team. The CSE also claimed that it tracked down Chinese trade portals which were advertising fructose syrup that can bypass tests to check adulteration. It also found that the same Chinese companies that advertised this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests were also exported to India. CSE director general Sunita Narain said they then conducted an undercover operation to find out more. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she claimed. Commenting on the development, Patanjali Ayurved spokesperson S K Tijarawala told PTI, "We manufacture only the natural honey, which is approved by the food regulator FSSAI. Our product meets the standards laid by FSSAI.” He also alleged that it was a conspiracy to defame the natural honey producers of the country.

National Green Tribunal extends ban on firecrackers

The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday extended the ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Delhi-NCR and other cities, where the ambient air quality is in the poor category or worse. The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday extended the ban on the sale and use of all firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Delhi-NCR and other cities, where the ambient air quality is in the poor category or worse. The green court said that during Christmas and on New Year, the use of green crackers will be allowed between 11:55 pm to 12:30 am, but only at places where air quality is in the moderate zone or better. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel, said its direction to restrict the use of firecrackers in places where air quality is ‘moderate’ or below for green crackers and for the duration of not more than two hours, will continue. “There will be a total ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers during Covid-19 pandemic in the NCR and all cities/towns in the country where the ambient air quality falls under the ‘poor’ and above category,” the bench said. The NGT also directed all district magistrates to ensure that firecrackers are not sold in Delhi-NCR and ordered strict compliance of the ban. The bench said that if individuals face problems due to burning of firecrackers they can consult the district magistrate for compensation. It said, “Any victim of pollution, apart from other remedies, can approach the district magistrate for compensation.” The air quality in Delhi remained in the very poor category on Wednesday, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that with temperatures and wind speeds reducing, the pollution levels are likely to become worse in the coming weeks. Last month, ahead of Diwali, the NGT had imposed a complete ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers from November 9 midnight to November 30 midnight in not only Delhi and NCR, but well as in places which had recorded ‘poor’ air quality levels in 2019. The NGT had then attached a list of 122 places across the country, which had recorded poor air quality levels in November 2019. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said that a cracker ban can only be successful if its enforcement is ensured efficiently. “Firecrackers were banned even during Diwali, but across neighbourhoods in Delhi and even in NCR towns, we heard cracker bursting and its impact was also seen in the air quality on Diwali night and a day later. Bans can only be successful with effective enforcement and awareness among citizens. They need to be made aware of the side effects of large scale cracker bursting on their and their family’s health,” said Roychowdhury said.

Honey sold by major brands in India adulterated with sugar syrup: Center for Science and Environment

The environmental watchdog Center for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed today that honey sold by many significant brands in India was discovered to be adulterated with sugar syrup. Food scientists from the CSE picked 13 top and smaller brands to verify their purity. 77 per cent of the samples were found to have been adulterated with sugar syrup. Just five out of the 22 samples tested passed all the tests. The study claimed that "Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test," The the Center for Science and Environment said when these samples were first tested at the Centre for Livestock and Food Research and Learning (CALF) at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, they all passed the test, except for a few smaller brands which failed to detect C4 sugar test. "But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) - laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups - almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany," it claimed. "Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected," said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE's Food Safety and Toxins team. The CSE also reported that it had monitored Chinese trade portals that marketed fructose syrup that could circumvent adulteration control checks. The same Chinese companies that advertised this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests were also exported to India, it was also found. Sunita Narain, CSE director general, said they then conducted an undercover operation to find out more. "Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80 per cent of the honey is adulterated with syrup, it would pass all stipulated tests. A sample of the syrup that can bypass tests was then sent by the Chinese company as paint pigment to get through customs," she claimed. "We are consuming honey - more of it to fight the pandemic. But honey adulterated with sugar will not make us well. It will, in fact, make us even more vulnerable. On the other hand, what should also concern us is that the loss of bees will lead to a collapse of our food system - bees are critical for pollination; if honey is adulterated, then not only do we lose our health, but also the productivity of our agriculture," she said. Narain said it is time to outwit the business of adulteration. "We need to strengthen enforcement in India through public testing so that companies are held responsible. The government should get samples tested using advanced technologies and make this information public so that consumers are aware and our health is not compromised. It will also hold companies responsible," Narain said. "Ensure that every honey company is required to trace back the origins of the honey - from the beekeeper to the hive," she added. (With inputs from PTI)

CSE responds to statements from Dabur and Patanjali on its investigation in honey adulteration

On December 2, 2020, Delhi based public interest research and advocacy organisation Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released its findings on the nefarious business of adulteration in honey, which is damaging people’s health. Two of India’s big names in the business – Dabur and Patanjali – have issued statements to the media on CSE’s findings. CSE responded to these statements here today. Regrading Dabur’s claim about maligning its brand and that its honey is NMR passed from Germany and is meeting Indian standards CSE says: We stand by our findings. Our findings have revealed that 10 out of 13 brands have failed all tests of purity. Most of these are big brands, including Dabur. This is not only about Dabur. In fact, we have talked about how smaller brands are also adulterated. This is about the consumer’s health. We have shared detailed laboratory results of all samples on our website. The NMR test report available on Dabur’s website and shared with media in support of the company’s statement is a report of the Bruker equipment/machine for NMR profiling. Bruker is a company which developed NMR and promotes it. We would like to make the consumer aware that this is not a laboratory report, which involves expert interpretation of the information by the equipment. In the case of NMR, it is critical that final conclusion on a sample’s adulteration is based on interpretation and confirmation by a laboratory expert on NMR. Even the report shared by Dabur mentions that expert interpretation is necessary before deducing any conclusion. On the other hand, CSE has shared the findings based on laboratory reports from Germany, which involves expert interpretation and confirmation of the data obtained by the machine/equipment. This is a universally accepted practice. Furthermore, Dabur has shared the report of only one sample. Also, there is no mention of the batch number of the sample tested. So, it remains unclear which batch is being talked about. On the other hand, we have provided three batch numbers of three samples tested of Dabur; that is BM3463, with the date of manufacture of May 25, 2020; BM3589, manufactured on July 10, 2020; and BM3636, manufactured on August 5, 2020. All three batches were found to be adulterated. In the absence of this information on laboratory test by the batch number, Dabur’s claim of purity is not tenable. We have also noted that Dabur is constantly changing the language on its claims regarding NMR tests. In earlier advertisements, it has said “NMR tested, pure honey”; as of today — after the release of the CSE investigation — Dabur is claiming “source NMR tested”. “Is this jugglery another attempt to confuse the consumer?” asks CSE director general Sunita Narain. Dabur’s claim about compliance with Indian laws is no surprise. That is what we have been saying — that the business of adulteration is sophisticated. The Indian labs testing for parameters set by the FSSAI could not detect this evolved adulteration. The fact that samples deliberately adulterated by us by up to 50 per cent of syrups passed all Indian tests is a robust proof of this. So, any claim of meeting all Indian standards actually holds limited value. Regarding media reports which quote Patanjali, where CSE is being accused of promoting the German technology. CSE says: We would like to make our position clear once again about this. NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is an advanced test that can detect adulteration with modified sugar syrups, which may otherwise go undetected. It is being used in different parts of the world for the same reason and even the Indian government has mandated it since August 2020 for honey meant to be exported. So, it could be important to include such advanced testing in government testing system that can help the enforcement agencies to know if the honey sold to consumers is adulterated or not. It can also help the agencies know which companies are selling adulterated honey, which is a crime, and take required punitive action against the defaulters. In fact, we have emphasised that NMR should not be made mandatory because it will likely help for a limited time — the business of adulteration is so sophisticated that very soon there would be syrups which can bypass the NMR test as well. (By Pratyusha Mukherjee)

शहद खाने वाले हो जाएं सावधान, सभी बड़े ब्रांड्स के सैंपल हुए फेल

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) ने कहा है कि 2003 और 2006 में जब सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक में जांच के दौरान जो मिलावट पाई गई थी, उससे भी ज्यादा खतरनाक मिलावट अब शहद में हो रही है. 13 बड़े ब्रांड्स के शहद को शुद्धता के पैमाने पर फेल पाया गया है.

सावधान शहद खाने वालों: मिठास में मिला जहर, फेल नामी-गिरामी कंपनियां

नई दिल्ली: शहद को आज के समय में अमूल्य पवित्र और अमृत की तरह माना जाता है। इसका सेवन औषधि की तरह किया जाता है। लेकिन इसमें जबरदस्त मिलावट की जा रही है। यह हालत सिर्फ सड़क किनारे भगोने में बिकने वाले शहद की नहीं, बल्कि नामी गिरामी ब्रांडेड शहद की भी है। सीएसई ने इसका खुलासा करते हुए बाजार में बिकने वाले 13 ब्रांड वाले प्रोसेस्ड शहद को चुना। इन ब्रांड के नमूनों को सबसे पहले गुजरात के राष्ट्रीय डेयरी विकास बोर्ड में स्थित सेंटर फॉर एनालिसिस एंड लर्निंग इन लाइवस्टॉक एंड फूड में जांचा गया। लगभग सभी शीर्ष ब्रांड (एपिस हिमालय छोड़कर) शुद्धता के परीक्षण में पास हो गए, जबकि कुछ छोटे ब्रांड इस परीक्षण में फेल हुए, उनमें सी3 और सी4 शुगर पाया गया, यह शुगर चावल और गन्ने के हैं, लेकिन जब इन्हीं ब्रांड्स को न्यूक्लियर मैग्नेटिक रेजोनेंस (एनएमआर) परीक्षण पर परखा गया तो लगभग सभी ब्रांड के नमूने फेल पाए गए। वैश्विक स्तर पर मोडिफाई एनएमआर परीक्षण वैश्विक स्तर पर मोडिफाई शुगर सिरप को जांचने के लिए प्रयोग किया जाता है। 13 ब्रांड परीक्षणों में सिर्फ 3 ही एनएमआर परीक्षण में पास हो पाए। इन्हें जर्मनी की विशेष प्रयोगशाला में जांचा गया था। सीएसई के फूड सेफ्टी एंड टॉक्सिन टीम के कार्यक्रम निदेशक अमित खुराना ने कहा कि हमने जो भी पाया वह चौंकाने वाला था कि मिलावट का व्यापार कितना विकसित है जो खाद्य मिलावट को भारत में होने वाले परीक्षणों से आसानी से बचा लेता है। जांच में सामने आए इन कंपनियों के नाम 77 फीसदी नमूनों में शुगर सिरप के साथ अन्य मिलावट पाए गए। कुल जांचे गए 22 नमूनों में केवल पांच ही सभी परीक्षण में पास हुए। शहद के प्रमुख ब्रांड्स जैसे डाबर, पतंजलि, बैद्यनाथ, झंडु, हितकारी और एपिस हिमालय, सभी एनएमआर टेस्ट में फेल पाए गए। 13 ब्रांड्स में से सिर्फ 3 – सफोला, मार्कफेड सोहना और नेचर्स नेक्टर, सभी परीक्षणों में पास पाए गए। भारत से निर्यात किए जाने शहद का एनएमआर परीक्षण 1 अगस्त, 2020 से अनिवार्य कर दिया गया है, जो यह बताता है कि भारत सरकार इस मिलावटी व्यापार के बारे में जानती थी, इसलिए उसे अधिक आधुनिक परीक्षणों की आवश्यकता पड़ी। इसमे गोल्डन सिरप, इनवर्ट शुगर सिरप और राइस सिरप का इस्तेमाल शहद में मिलावट के लिए किया जा रहा है। चीन के व्यापारिक पोर्टल्स की छानबीन निदेशक अमित खुराना ने कहा कि एफएसएसएआई के निर्देश में जिन सिरप के बारे में कहा गया है, वे उन नामों से आयात नहीं किए जाते हैं या इनसे मिलावट की बात साबित नहीं होती। इसकी बजाए चीन की कंपनियां फ्रुक्टोज के रूप में इस सिरप को भारत में भेजती हैं। चीन की कंपनियों को ईमेल भेजे गए और उनसे अनुरोध किया गया कि वे ऐसे सिरप भेजें, जो भारत में परीक्षणों में पास हो जाएं। उनकी ओर से भेजे गए जवाब में हमें बताया गया कि सिरप उपलब्ध हैं और उन्हें भारत भेजा जा सकता है। सीएसई ने अलीबाबा जैसे चीन के व्यापारिक पोर्टल्स की छानबीन की जो अपने विज्ञापनों में दावा करते हैं कि उनका फ्रुक्टोज सिरप भारतीय परीक्षणों को बाईपास कर सकता है। सीएसई ने इस मामले में और जानकारी हासिल करने के लिए एक अंडरकवर ऑपरेशन चलाया।

Be fond of honey, be careful! Samples of all big brands failed | शहद के शौकीन हो जाएं सावधान! सभी बड़े ब्रांड्स के सैंपल हुए फेल

नई दिल्ली: कोरोना काल (Coronavirus) में सेहतमंद रहने और इम्यूनिटी को बूस्ट करने के लिए अगर आप भी शहद (Honey) का सेवन करते हैं तो सावधान हो जाइए. उसमें चीनी की मिलावट है. सेंटर फॉर साइंस (Centre for Science and Environment) की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, सभी बड़े ब्रांड्स के सैंपल टेस्ट में फेल हो गए हैं. चीन में खास तरह से बने सुगर सिरप का किया जा रहा इस्तेमाल CSE के अनुसार, ये कंपनी चीन में बनी शुगर सिरप का इस्तेमाल कर रहे हैं ताकि टेस्टिंग में आसानी से पकड़ में न आएं. चीन इन शुगर सिरप को खास तरह के ‘डिजाइन’ के तहत तैयार करता है ताकि भारतीय प्रयोगशालाओं के परीक्षणों को चकमा दिया जा सके. जो शहद को एंटीऑक्सीडेंट और एंटी-माइक्रोबियल गुणों के लिए जाना जाता है. जो हमारी इम्यूनिटी को स्ट्रांग बनाता है. उसी शहद के धोखे में हम चीनी खा रहे हैं, जो हमारा वजन बढ़ाती है. डॉक्टरों के अनुसार, कोविड-19 से अधिक वजन वाले लोगों को ज्यादा खतरा है. FSSAI नहीं रहा कोई एक्शन NGO के मुताबिक, खाद्य नियामक भारतीय खाद्य सुरक्षा एवं मानक प्राधिकरण (FSSAI) इस मामले में आंख मूंदे बैठा है. हालांकि यह कहना मुश्किल है कि उसे इस बारे में कोई जानकारी नहीं है या उसकी मिलीभगत है. एनजीओ के मुताबिक चीन की कंपनियों और शुगर सिरप के बारे में कुछ अस्पष्ट सी बातें सामने आ रही थी। लेकिन इस रहस्यमयी सिरप और कंपनियों के बारे में कोई ठोस सबूत नहीं थे.

Most top brands are selling adulterated honey in India, shows CSE investigation

An investigation conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found rampant adulteration in honey sold by major Indian brands, with 77 percent of samples failing purity tests for sugar syrup adulteration. Of the 13 top and smaller brands of processed and raw honey, such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, and Zandu, selected by CSE food researchers for the investigation, only three could pass the internationally accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test. Indian tests were unable to detect this adulteration because Chinese companies have designed sugar syrups - namely golden syrup, invert sugar syrup and rice syrup being exported to India as fructose - in a way they can easily bypass food standards. When the samples were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, all top brands, except Apis Himalaya, passed the purity test. Later, when the same samples were tested using NMR, almost all the brands, including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari, and Apis Himalaya, failed to pass the purity test. Out of a total of 22 samples that were tested, only five passed all the purity tests. The three brands that passed the NMR tests are Saffola, Markfed Sohna, and Nature’s Nectar. The consumption of honey has gone up in India since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic as its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties are known to help build immunity. Hence, the detection of the food fraud is of particular concern as it compromises public health at a time a pandemic has brought the world to its knees. “It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now – keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting against a killer COVID-19 pandemic with our backs to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse,” said Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE. “Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of COVID-19. Sugar ingestion is directly linked to obesity, and obese people are more vulnerable to life-threatening infections,” she added. Speaking about the sugar syrup adulteration, Amit Khurana, Programme Director, Food Safety and Toxins team, CSE, said: “It remains unclear how much does the food regulator really know about this murky business. The three imported sugar syrups named by FSSAI in its directive – golden syrup, invert sugar syrup, and rice syrup - are either not imported in these names or are not indicted for adulteration. Instead, Chinese companies are mostly exporting this syrup as fructose to India. So, why did FSSAI put out what is clearly an erroneous order? We are not certain.” The FSSAI, in the past year, had directed importers and state food commissioners that golden syrup, invert sugar syrup and rice syrup imported into the country was being used for adulteration of honey. It was found that Chinese online portals such as Alibaba were advertising fructose syrups that can bypass purity tests. A factory in Uttarakhand’s Jaspur was also found manufacturing sugar syrup to adulterate honey.

New Delhi-based CSE says its probe found nefarious honey adulteration in top brands

Investigations by New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) with laboratory studies in India and Germany revealed rampant adulteration in honey sold by major brands in India, the non-profit research and advocacy group said. It claimed that 77 per cent of samples found adulterated with sugar syrup with only three out of 13 brands passing the internationally accepted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR) test. “It is a food fraud more nefarious and more sophisticated than what we found in our 2003 and 2006 investigations into soft drinks; more damaging to our health than perhaps anything that we have found till now– keeping in mind the fact that we are still fighting against a killer COVID-19 pandemic with our backs to the wall. This overuse of sugar in our diet will make it worse,” said Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) director general Sunita Narain today, while releasing a new CSE investigation into honey adulteration. The study has found that almost all brands of honey being sold in Indian markets are adulterated with sugar syrup. “This is immensely worrying, as it will further compromise health in the troubled times of COVID-19. We know that households today are consuming more honey because of its intrinsic goodness – antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. "Our research has found that most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of COVID-19. Sugar ingestion is directly linked to obesity, and obese people are more vulnerable to life-threatening infections,” added Narain. What did the investigation find? CSE said its food researchers selected 13 top and smaller brands of processed and raw honey being sold in India. Samples of these brands were first tested at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) at National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat. Almost all the top brands (except Apis Himalaya) passed the tests of purity, while a few smaller brands failed the tests to detect C4 sugar – call it basic adulteration using cane sugar. But when the same brands were tested using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) – laboratory tests currently being used globally to check for such modified sugar syrups – almost all big and small brands failed. Out of the 13 brands tests, only three passed the NMR test, which was done by a specialised laboratory in Germany. “What we found was shocking,” says Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE’s Food Safety and Toxins team. “It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India.Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is adulterated, but that this adulteration is difficult to catch. In fact, we have found that the sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected.” The findings were: 77 per cent of the samples were found to be adulterated with addition of sugar syrup. Out of 22 samples tested, only five passed all the tests. Honey samples from leading brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the NMR test. Only 3 out of the 13 brands – Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar (one out of two samples) - passed all the tests. As of August 1, 2020, NMR tests have been made mandatory in India for honey that is meant for export, suggesting that the Indian government is aware of this adulteration business and the need for more advanced tests.