New Delhi, September 16
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has made some serious allegations against leading honey manufacturers in the country.

The NGO, which in the past took up powerful cola companies with its analysis of pesticide residue in soft drinks, has claimed to have found antibiotic contamination in indigenous as well as imported “natural and pure” honey. The CSE assertion that honey unfit to be sold in countries of origin is being sold in India is even more disturbing.

Sweet Shock n The six antibiotics that PML looked for were oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, erythromycin, eurofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. n Among domestic brands tested were Dabur Honey of Dabur India Ltd; Himalaya Forest Honey of Himalaya Drug Company, Patanjali Pure Honey of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Haridwar; and Baidyanath Wild Flower Honey of Shree Baidyanath Ayurved Bhavan Pvt Ltd (Kolkata). n The two imported brands were Capilano Pure & Natural Honey of Capilano Honey Ltd, the market leader in Australia, exporting honey to over 40 countries; and Nectaflor Natural Blossom Honey of Narimpex AG, with its production site in Biel, Switzerland.

There have been diverse reactions, ranging from “no comments” to vehement rejections, from honey manufacturers on the CSE claims of the presence of harmful antibiotics in their products. In fact, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth, makers of the Patanjali Pure Honey, aggressively defended their product, urging the CSE “not to create an atmosphere of fear in the name of research”.

“We have always been a supporter of scientific tests and methodologies, but to create an atmosphere of fear in the name of research and analysis is totally illogical,” the yoga guru’s second-in-command Acharaya Balkrishna told The Tribune.

Some companies said they were in the process of studying the CSE report and would come out with a response only after “completely understanding and verifying” it. The spokesman of Dabur India Ltd, which holds around 75 per cent of the market share in the branded segment, refused to comment on the CSE expose` on antibiotics in honey.

Another major player in the field - Himalaya Drug Company -clarified that Himalaya Forest Honey was a multi-floral honey sourced from different forests of India.

“Himalaya Forest Honey sold in India complies with the quality standards set by the Export Inspection Council of India (EIC) for export-grade honey. Two antibiotics, oxytetracycline and chloramphenicol, for which the EIC has set clear limits are ‘not detected’ in Himalaya Forest Honey. This is corroborated by the CSE report. Himalaya’s products comply with all mandatory regulations set by the Government of India,” it said.

The CSE lab found high levels of antibiotics, from banned chloramphenicol to broad spectrum ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, long-term exposure to which can lead to serious health effects besides triggering antibiotic resistance in pathogens in almost all brands sold in the market.

“Leading Indian honey producers - Dabur, Baidyanath, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurveda, Khadi, Himalaya - all had two-four antibiotics in their products, much above the stipulated standards. What is even worse and shows the regulatory double-standards is that the two foreign brands tested by CSE- Capilano from Australia and Nectaflor from Switzerland - have high levels of antibiotics that would certainly be illegal in their own countries,” CSE director Sunita Narian had said yesterday while releasing the report.

Interestingly a sample from a little known company, Hitkatri Pharmacy, was found to be absolutely clean.

Most countries have banned antibiotics in food products and reject honey exported with contamination, and as per Sunita, the EU banned Indian honey from entering any of its 27-member countries because the consignments were contaminated with antibiotics and heavy metals.

Food safety regulations in India are supposed to be monitored by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, but Sunita alleged that the authority had failed to safeguard consumer health.

“While honey sold domestically is not regulated, India regulates antibiotics in the honey it exports. The Export Inspection Council (EIC) has set standards for antibiotic contamination in the honey India exports and even tests and certifies that exported honey meets health and safety regulations,” she said.

As per the CSE, chronic exposure to antibiotics doses taken in small amounts on a daily basis for a long period can lead to a variety of health problems. For instance, exposure to oxytetracycline can lead to blood-related disorders and liver injury. “But more importantly, antibiotics in honey and other foods as well have the potential to generate large-scale antibiotic resistance, leading to a collapse of healthcare systems and medications,” it says.

Beekeepers use antibiotics to control and prevent outbreaks of diseases in honeybees and as growth promoters to increase production.

“The fact that more than one antibiotic was found in samples indicates that the prevalent practice is to collect honey from different sources and blend them before packing and distributing for sale,” Sunita says.