Honey Purity Controversy: Industry Suggests Relaxing HMF Standard, Experts Say It's Not a Boon for Consumers
Lover Honey Fails for Two Consecutive Years; This Year's HMF Level Too High
The national standard for honey, CNS1305, has seven indicators, including moisture content, sucrose content, sugar content, water-insoluble solids content, acidity, diastase activity, and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) is a product of fructose dehydration in honey. Generally, fresh, unconcentrated honey contains no HMF, so it serves as an important indicator of freshness.
According to the national standard, the HMF in longan honey must be below 30mg/kg, and the HMF in honey must be below 40mg/kg. This indicator can determine the freshness of honey. Adulteration of honey with caramel, excessively high temperatures, or prolonged storage may all cause HMF to fail the standard.
In the inspections conducted by the Taipei City Health Department the year before last and by the Consumers' Foundation this year, the HMF in two products from Lover Honey Company, "Chief Pure Honey" and "Certified - Longan Honey," both failed the standard. Last year, the sugar adulteration rate of "Chief Pure Honey" reached as high as 54.8% (standard <7%). Lover Honey believes that the HMF level cannot represent a quality problem with honey; for example, the HMF level in Coca-Cola may be dozens of times higher than that in honey, and it has never been heard to affect human health. Moreover, the HMF level in honey may change as storage time lengthens or external temperatures rise.
As for the HMF standard, the HMF in longan honey must be below 30mg/kg. Chen Yuwen believes this is also closely related to the storage environment and temperature. Summers in Taiwan are hot, and the HMF value of honey tends to rise easily; if it exceeds the standard, it is indeed a sign of deterioration. However, Chen Yuwen remains reserved about whether the HMF value should be raised: "After all, HMF is not a good thing; the lower the value, the better, and operators must also take responsibility for improving storage conditions."
