| Abstract: |
A report in Monday’s Jinan Times exposes the seedy world of the Shandong honey industry, where the adulteration and counterfeitting of China’s honey is an “open secret to industry insiders. ” The exposé claims that some 60-70% of the nation’s honey is fake, where it joins the shameful ranks of shoddy baijiu and knock-off soy milk. The China-news reporters and translators at Danwei.com covered the Jinan Times piece, and report:In conversations with merchants at a Jinan farmers market, stall owners freely admitted that numerous beekeeping merchants buy sugar syrup from them to mix into their honey. Buying syrup is much cheaper than producing bee honey and thus it is more profitable to sell honey that has been adulterated. |
