President Ziya Şahin of the Turkish Beekeepers Association (TAB) has stated their request for the market to be rid of counterfeit products.

During a press conference, Şahin highlighted that Turkey, being a land of honey, ranks 2nd in the world in beekeeping. He emphasized that protecting the efforts of beekeepers is the responsibility of everyone. Şahin stated, “We consider adding any substance to honey, altering the honey’s composition, or removing any component of honey as ‘counterfeiting.’

There are two types of counterfeiting: imitation and adulteration. We aim for the dominance of honey produced by bees in nature and by beekeepers in the mountains, not imitation honey, in the market.” Şahin mentioned that the cost of 1 kilogram of honey to beekeepers is 261 Turkish lira, but in supermarkets, honey can be found for 50 to 70 lira per kilogram. He questioned, “Who will consume this honey? My consumers will. Therefore, we demand the elimination of counterfeit products from the market. This is our ultimate goal.”

Şahin pointed out that when exporting honey, they adhere to numerous analyses and criteria, and he emphasized the importance of implementing these analysis methods in the domestic market as well. He expressed the expectation of enforcement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on these matters. Şahin concluded by saying, “We have NMR machines in our ministry’s laboratories to measure the purity of honey. We eagerly await their use starting from 2025. Just as people in Europe consume honey safely, the individuals in my country should also be consuming honey with such confidence.”