The farming association Asaja Extremadura is warning of suspected fraud involving honey imports into Spain. The association’s president Ángel García Blanco said on 12 November that Chinese syrup was entering the Spanish market via Portugal and being sold as honey. The association is calling for stricter checks and better traceability.
García Blanco advised consumers to buy honey of Spanish origin only. He is representing the interests of domestic producers. However, in the publications available, the association named no specifically identified shipment or independent laboratory finding to support the claim that Chinese syrup is being shipped to Spain via Portugal and sold as honey.
According to figures cited by García Blanco, Spain imported 8,067 tonnes of honey from Portugal in the first half of 2026, at an average of €1.55 per kilogram. He put production costs in Spain at around €5 per kilogram. The trade figures and cost comparison have not been independently verified. A low import price, on its own, proves neither adulteration nor the origin of any individual shipment; moreover, import prices and production costs are not directly comparable.
An earlier investigation by the European Commissionshows that honey adulteration is a control problem. In a coordinated operation in 2021 and 2022, 320 samples from honey consignments were tested. Signs of added foreign sugar were found in 147 samples. The Commission referred to suspected cases. The results cannot be presented as the proportion of adulterated honey on the entire European market, and they do not substantiate current allegations concerning individual shipments to Spain.
Labelling is intended to make the origin of honey blends more transparent. Following an amendment to the European Honey Directive, blends must generally state the countries of origin and their respective shares. Member States had to apply the new rules from 14 June 2026. A transitional rule applies to products that were lawfully labelled or placed on the market before then, allowing existing stocks to be sold until exhausted.
A country-of-origin indication and proof of adulteration address different questions. The label gives the stated countries of origin; whether sugar has been added must be investigated separately. Asaja is therefore calling not only for labelling, but also for effective checks on supply chains.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).