An experienced beekeeper has criticised the United States authorities for not doing enough to protect his trade against the distribution of low-cost synthetic honey.
Bret Adee – who runs a tradition-rich honey farm in Bruce, South Dakota – said local apiarists were under increasing pressure by illicit competition.
Bret told the South Dakota Searchlight news website: “The biggest economic factor we are having to compete with is ‘synthetic’ or what you would call ‘adulterated’ honey. It’s not really honey.”
The foodstuff the owner of Adee Honey Farms was referring to contains ingredients such as corn or rice syrup. Their production costs are significantly lower.
The production of honey in South Dakota decreased by 41 per cent from 2021 to 2022, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Last year, there were 185,000 honey-producing colonies in South Dakota in 2022, according to the South Dakota Searchlight.
Bret – whose family business was established in 1957 – claimed: “We don’t have very good enforcement of our food laws.”
Speaking to the South Dakota Searchlight about the beneficial actions of honeybees, the apiarist explained: “The numbers consistently run from 12 to 40 per cent higher soybean yields if you have bees on the ground.
“It’s incidental pollination. That’s why it’s so valuable to have bees out there. But you can’t do it if you’re competing with fake stuff made from rice sugar.”
Products that consist of honey and different kinds of syrup are not banned from sale in the United States. However, their packaging must indicate all ingredients.
Each citizen of the United States consumes between 0.9 and 1.4 kilogrammes (one to three pounds) of honey on average per year.
South Dakota came 25th in a recent nationwide beekeeping survey.
California gardening services company Lawn Love asked experts to evaluate the situation across the country.
While California was found to be the best place for beekeeping altogether, apiaries in 11 states were not considered due to a lack of data.
South Dakota took 6th place in the study’s output check.
In their overall ranking, Lawn Love listed New York in second and North Dakota in third.
