KOTA BARU: 90 per cent of the country's honey market– which includes stingless bee honey– is now made up of counterfeit products.
Dr Mohd Zulkifli Mustafa, a senior lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) School of Medical Sciences' Department of Neurosciences, said counterfeit honey poses a huge threat and challenge to the industry.
He said that to identify genuine honey, which has advantages and benefits in terms of content, efficacy, and quality, laboratory tests are required.
"Honey is a complete food in terms of energy, protein, vitamins, good bacteria, and antioxidants. Through research, honey consumption can help prevent non-communicable chronic diseases due to lifestyle or from infections.
"Medical studies have found that stingless bee honey can alleviate inflammation due to bacterial infections, pressure or stress, and help fight obesity and ageing, as well as chronic diseases.
"However, the biggest challenge for the honey industry now is the presence of counterfeit honey, which accounts for 90 per cent of the market. Therefore, laboratory tests are needed to identify genuine honey," he said.
He said that USM, through the USM stingless bee honey research project, commercialised stingless bee honey through a strategic plan involving the development of 4,000 farmers.
"This is carried out under an initiative called 'Kelulunomic', to ensure continuous supply and is marketed through the university's spin-off company, Brainey Sdn Bhd.
"In this case, strict quality control ensures the authenticity and consistency of the honey substance used in clinical trials where the honey tested is distributed to consumers," he said.
In general, he said, stingless bee honey has a more liquid physical characteristic with a unique sweet and sour taste with a floral or fruity aroma.
He said stingless bee honey is also highlighted as a nutritious food and additional supplement to help children's brain growth, boost the body's immune system, control emotional stress, and prevent dementia among the elderly.
"The development of scientific research shows that stingless bee honey contains various unique ingredients that are important for functional food to help health and even recognised as a superfood in Malaysia.
"The content of antioxidants such as phenolic acid and flavonoids, amino acids, good bacteria, and vitamins make stingless bee honey a complete food for daily nutrient needs," he said.
"Moreover, with the presence of unique sugar, trehalulose, it becomes low glycemic besides serving as an alternative sugar that does not harm teeth," he said.