GHIC calls on consumers, beekeepers, and food retailers for greater transparency and rigorous quality controls
Willingen/Brussels, June 14, 2026 – With the entry into force of the new EU Honey Directive, a new phase in the fight against honey fraud in Europe begins today. The reform aims to make the origin of honey more transparent, improve traceability, and boost consumer confidence.
This legislative change follows alarming findings from the European “From the Hives” investigation, conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Commission, and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The study revealed that around 46 percent of the imported honey samples examined were suspected of being adulterated. It also showed that conventional testing methods are often insufficient to reliably detect modern forms of adulteration.
“Today is an important day for consumers and beekeepers in Europe. The new Honey Directive sends a clear signal that policymakers and authorities have recognized the problem. Now, action must follow words,” explains Bernhard Heuvel, founder and CEO of the Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC).
What changes specifically for consumers?
With the entry into force of the new EU Honey Directive, consumers will gain significantly greater transparency regarding the origin of their honey for the first time.
Previously, a general statement on many honey jars sufficed:
“Blend of honey from EU and non-EU countries”
or
“Blend of honey from non-EU countries”
This made it virtually impossible for consumers to trace where the honey actually came from.
The new regulation stipulates that countries of origin must be specified much more precisely in the future. Consumers should be able to see which countries the honey comes from and the proportion each country of origin contributes to a blend.
Example:
Previously: “Blend of honey from EU and non-EU countries”
In the future:
- Ukraine 45%
- China 30%
- Argentina 15%
- Romania 10%
This makes the origin much more transparent for consumers and significantly limits the scope for obscuring origins.
“The new Honey Directive gives consumers a tool they did not have before: genuine transparency regarding the origin of their honey,” explains Heuvel.
Consumers have more influence than they think
The Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC) calls on consumers across Europe to make active use of this new information.
When buying honey, consumers should pay close attention to origin details and ask themselves:
- Which countries does this honey come from?
- Are the countries of origin clearly stated?
- Is the supply chain traceable?
- Does my purchase support transparency and fair market conditions?
Every purchase sends a signal to the market.
Choosing transparent products strengthens honest beekeepers, supports responsible companies, and helps make food fraud less attractive.
Honey fraud is no longer a marginal issue
For years, beekeepers across Europe have complained of immense pressure regarding prices and competition caused by products whose authenticity is increasingly being called into question.
While European beekeepers struggle with rising costs for labor, energy, supplies, and animal health, large quantities of extremely low-priced honey are entering the European market. At the same time, scientific studies and international investigations are increasingly revealing that honey fraud is not an isolated incident but has become a structural problem within the global honey trade.
New analytical techniques—such as DNA sequencing, proteomics, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and modern multi-method approaches—are now providing authorities with capabilities that were unavailable just a few years ago.
Investigations are currently underway in several European countries. National authorities are increasingly exchanging information at the European level. Simultaneously, there is growing pressure on traders and importers to demonstrably ensure the authenticity of their products.
The retail sector faces a crucial decision
For food retailers, the issue has long since moved beyond mere compliance with legal regulations.
It is a matter of trust.
Consumers rightly expect that a product sold as honey is, in fact, honey.
The new EU Honey Directive increases transparency. At the same time, it places a greater responsibility on supermarket chains, importers, and bottlers to align their quality control measures with the latest scientific and technical standards.
“The greatest damage does not stem from a fine, but from a loss of trust. Those who invest in modern quality control today protect both their brand and their customers,” says Heuvel.
The GHIC therefore calls upon the European food retail sector to:
- critically review supply chains,
- employ modern authenticity analysis methods,
- increase transparency for consumers,
- consistently investigate suspicious products,
- and act swiftly and responsibly in cases of substantiated suspicion.
Beekeepers Organise Globally
The Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC) was established to address the challenges of the international honey market.
The organization connects beekeepers, scientists, laboratories, journalists, consumer advocates, and policymakers with the aim of strengthening the integrity of the honey market, protecting consumers, and creating a level playing field for honest beekeepers.
The Coming Weeks Could Be Crucial
Over the past few months, Bernhard Heuvel and his partners have organized extensive sampling operations in several European countries, including Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Preliminary analyses of numerous products have already raised significant doubts regarding their authenticity.
Sampling procedures witnessed by a notary have been completed. The results of the laboratory analyses are expected in the coming weeks and will subsequently be handed over to the relevant authorities in the affected EU member states.
If the suspicions are confirmed, official investigations and further measures could follow.
The goal is to:
- expose honey fraud,
- initiate official investigations,
- protect consumers,
- increase pressure on the trade sector to improve quality controls,
- and restore fair market conditions for honest beekeepers.
- At the same time, discussions are underway with Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials, scientists, journalists, and beekeeping associations to launch further measures against honey fraud.
Support Needed
To date, the ongoing investigations, sampling, and discussions with authorities, scientists, media representatives, and policymakers have been largely funded through private means.
The Global Honey Integrity Council is therefore calling on beekeepers, consumers, and supporters to provide financial backing for these ongoing activities.
Every contribution helps to:
- conduct further sampling,
- secure evidence that stands up in court,
- educate consumers,
- provide authorities and the media with reliable information,
- expand international cooperation,
- and restore fair market conditions for honest beekeepers.
If just 130 beekeepers, consumers, and bee enthusiasts contribute 50 euros each, the budget for the next phase of the campaign would already be covered.
You can support this work here:
About the Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC)
The Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC) is an independent international initiative comprising beekeepers, scientists, laboratories, consumer advocates, and industry experts dedicated to transparency, authenticity, and a level playing field in the global honey market.
The GHIC aims to expose honey fraud, protect consumers, and safeguard the livelihoods of honest beekeeping families. To this end, the GHIC supports scientific research, international cooperation, policy initiatives, and the exchange of information among regulatory bodies, research institutions, the media, and market participants.
The initiative promotes modern methods for verifying honey authenticity, advocates for transparent supply chains, and works to strengthen consumer confidence in honey as a natural food product.
In light of growing evidence of systematic adulteration in the international honey trade, the GHIC serves as a platform for factual information, scientific integrity, and practical solutions that benefit consumers, beekeepers, and honest businesses.
Further information:
Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC)
Contact:
Bernhard Heuvel
CEO & Founder
Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC)
+49 176 4166 1815
– Photos available upon request –
About the Founder
Bernhard Heuvel is a professional beekeeper, entrepreneur, and one of Europe’s most prominent figures in the fight against honey fraud and the campaign for honey authenticity.
He served as President of the European Professional Beekeepers Association (EPBA) until early 2026. Additionally, he was the Vice President of the German Professional Beekeepers Association (DBIB).
In recent years, Heuvel has launched numerous international initiatives to expose honey adulteration and has played a pivotal role in driving dialogue among beekeepers, scientists, laboratories, the media, regulatory authorities, and policymakers.
He gained widespread recognition for his involvement in the ZDF *Frontal* documentary “Fake-Honig: Eine süße Illusion” (Fake Honey: A Sweet Illusion), produced in collaboration with professional beekeepers from across Europe. For the documentary’s research, Heuvel traveled to locations including China and participated in undercover investigations along international supply chains. These efforts involved conversations with syrup manufacturers, honey traders, and processing plants, documenting how modern honey adulteration is carried out and how adulterated products enter international trade flows. The documentary revealed the scale and sophistication of global honey fraud to an audience of millions for the first time.
The ZDF *Frontal* report on honey: https://youtu.be/Gh-N5L-D3C4
Furthermore, Heuvel has collaborated with journalists, research institutions, Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials, and national authorities to develop scientifically sound and practical solutions to combat honey fraud. His analyses, research findings, and statements have garnered significant attention across Europe within trade media, political institutions, and the beekeeping community. With the founding of the Global Honey Integrity Council (GHIC), Bernhard Heuvel aims to unite the efforts of beekeepers, scientists, laboratories, consumer advocates, the media, and responsible companies worldwide in order to strengthen transparency, scientific integrity, and fair competition in the honey market.
He is dedicated to protecting consumers, safeguarding the future of beekeeping, and ensuring that honey remains what it ought to be:
an unadulterated natural product.