'Plot to defame Indian honey industry': Patanjali, Dabur deny findings of CSE study that says their honey is adulterated

Representational Image (Pixabay)

Dabur and Patanjali have refuted the findings of a study that said the honey sold by the companies is adulterated with sugar syrup.

The companies said they have fully adhered to the norms on testing honey set by the by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on December 2 said out of 13 samples of Indian brands, only three passed the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test. Other brands who failed the purity test for honey include Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya.

Honey sold by Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature's Nectar cleared the purity test for honey.

"The recent reports seem motivated and aimed at maligning our brand. We assure our consumers that Dabur Honey is 100 per cent pure and indigenous, collected naturally from Indian sources and packed with no added sugar or other adulterants," a Dabur spokesperson told PTI.

Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna said the honey sold by the company is 100 percent natural.

"It seems to be a plot to defame Indian natural honey industry and manufacturers in a bid to promote processed honey," Balkrishna said.

This is a "gameplan to replace lakhs of rural farmers and honey growers including Khadi & Village commission channel" with processed/ artificial/ value-added honey makers, he said, as quoted by the news agency.

Dabur even responded to the study on Twitter, assuring consumers that the honey they sell is unadulterated.

"Dabur Honey clears all FSSAI tests and has the first corporate-owned NMR machine in India to ensure 100 percent purity," the company said in a tweet.

World's No. 1 Dabur Honey is 100% Pure & Safe!

✅We are NMR profiled
✅We are 22 FSSAI tests compliant.

Dabur Honey clears all FSSAI tests and has the first corporate-owned NMR machine in India to ensure 100% purity. Read the complete report here, https://t.co/hLlEEMzh2M pic.twitter.com/J36fBkvnKG

— Dabur India Ltd (@DaburIndia) December 2, 2020