The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India vide Notification dated 23rd December 2019 has directed all the state commissioners of food safety to carry out surveillance, sampling and inspections of the premises of honey manufacturing or processing units to check for presence of the golden syrup/rice syrup in honey periodically and to submit the action report. During inspection, if any evidence or presence of golden syrup or invert sugar syrup or rice syrup in any container or jars or receptacles is detected for which Food Business Operators (FBOs) is unable to account to the satisfaction of Inspecting Officers, the concerned FBOs are required to be prosecuted as per penal provisions specified under the FSS Act, 2006.
The standards of honey are prescribed under the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, but it has been noted by the Authority that golden syrup or invert sugar syrup or rice syrup are sometimes used in the production of honey for being cheaper in cost and due to having similar physical properties and easy availability.
Click here to read the Notification.
