Nine in ten honey samples from UK retailers fail authenticity test

Call for industry reform as latest results support belief that products are being bulked out with cheaper sugar syrup

The honey industry faces new demands to overhaul its supply chain after more than 90% of sampled products bought from large British retailers failed pioneering authenticity tests.

The UK branch of the Honey Authenticity Network sent 30 samples last month from Britain for a novel commercial test based on the DNA profiles of genuine honey. Five were from UK beekeepers and 25 from big retailers, including supermarkets.