According to representatives of the Swedish beekeeping sector, the Swedish central food authority conducted investigations in cooperation with Biodlingsföretagarna. All findings are now public: the product “Hilltop hot honey,” sold in retail stores, has been confirmed as adulterated with sugar and has been removed from all shelves. Authorities have publicly communicated the brand name.
The investigation involved advanced testing by two independent laboratories, Food QS and Eurofins, both of which confirmed that the tested honey was fake. One laboratory identified sugar profiles inconsistent with pure honey, while the other detected bacterial enzymes, indicating processing techniques that allowed the addition of sugar syrups. According to Yngve Kilhberg of Biodlingsföretagarna, this represents the first use of such modern analysis methods in Skåne and one of the first in Europe.
The case illustrates the increasing sophistication of honey fraud, where products may still contain some real honey, making traditional detection methods insufficient. It also demonstrates the important role beekeepers play in monitoring the market.
Discussions within the beekeeping community have emphasized the value of timely public communication. With this case now public, authorities and stakeholders aim to increase awareness and prevent further circulation of adulterated products.
The situation highlights wider challenges in the EU honey market, including unfair competition from adulterated imports and risks to sustainable beekeeping and pollination. From 14 June, new EU rules will require clearer labeling of honey, including the country of origin, to improve transparency and market integrity.
There is link on the original text: https://www.sydsvenskan.se/malmo/normals-fusk-honung-avslojad-av-ny-testmetod-malmo-forst-ut/
There is artificial translation:
Friday 13 March 2026
Malmö Lund
Skåne · Sport · Weather · TV
Fake honey revealed with new testing method – Malmö first out
Malmö
The store chain Normal in Malmö has ended up in a honey scandal. Their Hilltop hot honey has been revealed to be adulterated with sugar.
“You can also buy fake honey,” says Yngve Kilhberg at Biodlingsföretagarna, who tipped off the environmental administration inspectors.
According to Yngve Kilhberg, cheating with sugar is widespread and most of the honey imported into Sweden is fake. Several analyses have shown that it is diluted with various sugar solutions.
“Most of it comes from factories in China where it is processed and then shipped into Europe, where it is mixed and sold as honey,” says Yngve Kilhberg.
Can you yourself determine if it is real honey or fake?
“No, actually not. These have become so clever that it is not possible to detect anything by looking.”
As long as producers have a certain amount of real honey in the mix, it can slip through controls, says Yngve Kilhberg. In Great Britain, authorities have tightened controls.
Therefore, Biodlingsföretagarna chose to report the packaging from British Hilltop honey.
The environmental administration received tips about the products. They bought the packages from Normal’s store at Triangeln in Malmö. This time, they decided to test something new: the honey was sent to two different laboratories that use advanced analysis methods.
One of the laboratories tested different sugar products in the honey. They created a type of chemical fingerprint and compared it with samples. Warning signals appeared immediately – it was not pure honey.
The second laboratory tested which enzymes were present in the honey. They found enzymes that come from fungi, without being naturally present. Its probable true that the honey had been filtered, but the test result didnt show filtration just foreign sugar and foreign enzymes.
“I was very surprised. This is the first time in Skåne that we use such modern analysis methods. It is also the first time in Europe,” says Yngve Kilhberg.
Last year, the organization conducted its own investigation into a dozen honey products in Sweden.
The problem has been that the EU’s existing legislation has not kept up with new fraud methods.
“But the new methods are good and should be able to start being used on a large scale.”
“We will continue to test more honey and develop this further,” says Yngve Kilhberg.
The Malmö Environmental Administration has decided to report the company behind the product, Hilltop, to the prosecutor. The products must be removed from the shelves.
Another problem is that imported fake honey pushes prices down. It has made it difficult for beekeepers to survive in many European countries.
“In certain areas, entire production has been shut down. This also applies in Sweden, even if it is less visible,” says Yngve Kilhberg.
This in turn leads to fewer pollinators in the landscape. Which in the long run can lead to even higher food prices.
This summer, new, clearer rules will come into force regarding what may be called honey. From 14 June, all honey must be labeled with the country of origin.
Normal states that they have guarantees from their suppliers that the product is genuine honey. They have now removed Hilltop hot honey from their stores.
QUOTE:
“If the honey is very cheap, you can suspect that something is wrong with it.”
QUESTION:
What is the problem from your perspective? Why is sugar used instead of honey in the jar?
ANSWER:
“Because it does not contain all the fine substances that are good for the body, for example flavonoids. But you can buy syrup instead, which is much cheaper.”
IMAGE CAPTIONS:
The fake honey Hilltop hot honey was sold here at Normal’s store at Triangeln in Malmö. The environmental administration bought three packages.
EU rules are clear: honey sold may not contain any additives at all – it must be 100 percent pure honey directly from the beehive.
Here is one of the packages of Hilltop hot honey that the environmental administration in Malmö bought in Normal’s store at Triangeln to test.
There is Swedish authorities press release translation:
Malmö City
Environmental Administration
Delegation Decision
ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATION
Bergsgatan 17
205 80 Malmö
Tel. 040-34 10 00
Org.nr. 212000-1124
miljo@malmo.se
www.malmo.se/miljo
Date: 2026-03-04
Normal Sweden AB
jesoe@normal.dk
se0199@normal.se
Case officer:
Food inspector Thomas Hägvall
Direct telephone/email:
040-34 20 49, thomas.hagvall@malmo.se
Case number: MN-2026-1882
State the case number when contacting the environmental administration.
Decision on prohibition of placing food on the market
Normal Sweden AB (5591189617), is prohibited as operator of the food establishment
Normal Förstadsgatan, Södra Förstadsgatan 31, from placing food on the market that
does not meet the requirements in the honey directive 2001/110/EC. The prohibition applies to the following food:
• Hilltop Hot Honey. Two packages of 340 g with batch number JUN 2027 25102
If the products are to be destroyed, returned to the manufacturer or used as food,
this must be approved by the environmental committee. If the product is destroyed,
the company must submit proof that destruction has taken place.
Background
The environmental administration received on 2026-02-06 a complaint from the industry organisation
Biodlingsföretagarna. According to the complaint, Biodlingsföretagarna had had honey of the
brand Hilltop Hot Honey analysed for authenticity and obtained the results that the honey did not meet the requirements in the honey directive 2001/110/EC.
Because of this, the environmental administration carried out on 2026-02-11 a purchase of three
packages of Hilltop Hot Honey in your shop at Södra Förstadsgatan 31 to investigate the complaint.
Samples were submitted to Eurofins (analysis of enzyme, proteomic) and Food QS (analysis of sugar,
LC-HRMS and NMR), a total of three different analyses.
From the analysis reports it appears that the sample contains foreign enzyme and sugar. The level of
natural enzymes from the honey bee is very low. The conclusion from the three analyses is that
the honey does not meet the requirements in the honey directive.
During inspection in the store on 2026-03-02, the store manager had the opportunity to comment. No
information emerged that leads to this decision not being taken. This decision has been communicated with
quality responsible Jesper Sølling by telephone on 2026-03-03.
Motivation
As a food business operator you are responsible for ensuring that the food is safe and that you
comply with the requirements in food legislation. This means that you are responsible for
correcting any deviations, maintaining safe food handling and having procedures to
prevent and correct deficiencies.
According to the honey directive 2001/110/EC Article 1, honey shall meet the requirements
set out in Annex II of the same regulation. According to Annex II, no
food ingredients, including food additives, may be added to it, nor
may anything other than honey be added.
The analysis results showing foreign enzyme and foreign sugar indicate
that the honey has been manipulated and is not authentic, which means that customers who
buy the product are misled.
There is therefore reason to decide on prohibition of placing the
product on the market.
Legal basis
Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey, Article 1 and Annex II
Swedish Food Agency regulations (LIVSFS 2003:10) on honey.
1. Food information shall not be misleading, in particular
a) as to the characteristics of the food, especially its nature,
identity, properties, composition, quantity, durability, country of origin or
place of provenance, method of manufacture or production.
Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 on food information Article 7 point 1
In Article 138 points 1 and 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official control it is stated that if
non-compliance is established, the control authority shall take
a) all measures necessary to determine the cause and extent of the
non-compliance and determine the operator’s responsibility, and
b) take appropriate measures to ensure that the operator concerned remedies the non-compliance and prevents further recurrence.
When the competent authorities act in accordance with point 1 of this article they shall take into account the nature of the non-compliance and the extent to which the operator has previously complied with the rules.
The environmental committee may according to Section 22 of the Food Act (2006:804) issue the orders or
prohibitions that are necessary for the law, regulations issued pursuant to the law or the
EC regulations supplemented by the law to be followed. The environmental committee has delegated
(decided) decision-making authority to the environmental administration.
For the environmental committee
Thomas Hägvall
Food inspector
Department for food control
(Dg 5.2.3)
This decision has been confirmed digitally and therefore lacks a handwritten signature.
Next step
Sign and send in the attached acknowledgement of receipt via email or post, so that we know that you have
received the decision.
Attachments
• Inspection report 2026-03-03
• Analysis reports
How to appeal
You can appeal this decision to the County Administrative Board Skåne in writing no later than three weeks after
the day you received the decision.
Do as follows:
• write to the environmental administration which decision you are appealing
• state the decision’s case number, decision date and what the decision concerns
• explain why you think the decision should be changed and what change you want
• attach what you consider important for the decision to become correct
• finish with name, address and telephone number and possibly email address
The appeal shall be sent to miljo@malmo.se or to Environmental Administration, 205 80 Malmö.
If your appeal has been received by the environmental administration in time it will be forwarded to
the County Administrative Board, if the administration does not itself change the decision in the way you have requested.
Do you have questions? Call the case officer stated in the decision.
Postal address:
Environmental Administration
205 80 Malmö
Visiting address: Bergsgatan 17, Malmö
Reception is open Monday–Friday 09.00–12.00, 13.00–15.30.
Texts submitted by: Johannes Sjöstedt, Peeter Matson