Cancun, Quintana Roo — Beekeepers in Cancun are warning consumers about counterfeit honey being sold on Asian digital apps and at roadside stalls, particularly in the Puerto Aventuras area.
Elmar Penagos Romero, a beekeeper with the company Deyamiel, said they have received reports of stalls at the entrance to Puerto Aventuras selling bottles of supposed melipona honey for 500 pesos each.
“It’s very easy to tell the difference because it’s just a sweet taste, very watery, without the density of real honey,” he said.
Penagos explained that the fake product is made from high-fructose syrup and contains no nutritional value. Dyes are added to mimic the color of real honey, and some bottles even include a piece of honeycomb to deceive buyers.
While a liter of real honey in Cancun costs between 120 and 150 pesos, pure honey can cost up to 400 pesos per liter. The counterfeit product is sometimes sold at similar or even higher prices, targeting local consumers.
“It’s not adulterated honey, but a product made from high-fructose syrup that has no nutritional value for the consumer,” Penagos said.
The sale of fake honey has also spread to digital commerce apps, where buying food products like honey is highly risky, as these platforms are not specialized grocery stores.
Penagos urged the public to be cautious when purchasing honey and to verify its origin.
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