Saar Safra on "Honey Laundering" and Why 90% of Honey Is Fake

Aleph · 0m · transcribed Aug 2026

Section Insights

# 0:00

Understanding Honey Laundering

What is honey laundering?

Honey laundering refers to the practice of selling honey that is not genuine, similar to money laundering.

Honey laundering is a significant issue in the honey market.
It involves the sale of non-honey sweeteners as real honey.

# 0:08

Market Contamination with Non-Honey Products

What types of products are being sold as honey?

Many products sold as honey are actually rice syrup or corn syrup, which are not real honey.

A large amount of honey on the market is not genuine.
Consumers may unknowingly purchase these substitutes.

# 0:17

Characteristics of Fake Honey

How can fake honey be mistaken for real honey?

Fake honey has a similar texture to real honey, making it difficult to distinguish.

Fake honey resembles real honey in appearance and texture.
This similarity contributes to consumer deception.

# 0:25

Health Implications of Consuming Fake Honey

What are the health effects of consuming non-honey sweeteners?

Non-honey sweeteners like rice syrup and corn syrup have negative impacts on human health.

These sweeteners are considered harmful to the body.
Consumers should be aware of the potential health risks associated with fake honey.

# 0:34

The Reality of Honey on Store Shelves

What percentage of honey sold is actually real honey?

Only 10% of honey sold in stores is real honey, while 90% is harmful sweeteners.

The vast majority of honey available is not genuine.
Consumers are at risk of consuming unhealthy alternatives instead of real honey.

Transcript

0:00 What percentage of the honey in the United States is sold after it was honey laundered? >> It's a It's a term we coined. It's like money laundering. Basically, today there's a lot of honey that's being dumped on the markets that is not real honey. It's rice syrup or corn syrup. It looks like honey. It has the same texture. but it's just the worst sweetener on planet Earth. It has so many negative impacts on the human body. But it's being sold as honey, and that's called dumping. And eventually, you buy honey off the shelf, but only 10% of it is real honey. 90% of it is a sweetener that just does harm to your body.

Summary

In the U.S., approximately 90% of honey sold is not real honey but rather sweeteners like rice or corn syrup, a practice referred to as "honey laundering." This counterfeit honey poses significant health risks and is misleadingly marketed to consumers.

- "Honey laundering" is akin to money laundering, involving the sale of fake honey.
- Much of the honey on the market is actually rice syrup or corn syrup.
- Only about 10% of honey sold in stores is genuine.
- The fake sweeteners used can have negative health impacts.
- Consumers are often unaware of the difference between real honey and these substitutes.
- The issue highlights the need for better labeling and regulation in the honey industry.