Non-bee honey facing govt sting

If you've felt cheated by that jar of honey that claimed to be actual honey but wasn't, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has your back.

Barnaby Joyce

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce wants to stop companies labelling corn syrup products as honey. (AAP)

A bitter taste is being left in the mouths of some Australians putting honey on their toast for breakfast.

They've probably just discovered that gooey, sugary spread doesn't actually come from bees - but corn.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce wants to stop companies from labelling their products honey if it's not derived from bees.

He's working with his department to combat the problem.

"If you want to put Australian honey on your toast... you'll be bitterly disappointed that something sweet, honey-coloured comes from corn syrup," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

The consumer watchdog is preparing to act on some brands of cheap imported honey, which the bee industry claims do not meet local food standards and could be deceptively labelled.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world