Press Release: CSE stands by its report on honey, debunks Australian honeymaker’s claims

New Delhi, September 18, 2010:
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has come out with a strong rebuttal of claims made by Capilano, the Australian honey producing firm, which has rejected the tests on honey conducted by CSE’s Pollution Monitoring Lab. 

• Capilano, the Australian honey major whose product was also tested by Centre for Science and Environment’s (CSE) Pollution Monitoring Laboratory in its recently released study on honey, rejects the study findings. Claims to have done own tests and found the samples clean
  

• CSE has found high levels of antibiotics in leading brands of honey sold in Delhi, including names like Dabur and Patanjali, as well as foreign brands like Capilano
  

• CSE strongly rebuts Capilano’s claims. Says this is standard company response
  

• Stands by its study, and asks Capilano to publish its own study results

New Delhi, September 18, 2010: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has come out with a strong rebuttal of claims made by Capilano, the Australian honey producing firm, which has rejected the tests on honey conducted by CSE’s Pollution Monitoring Lab. The results of these tests were announced by CSE recently.

The tests had found high levels of antibiotics in most leading brands of honey sold in the country. The brands included names like Dabur and Patanjali, as well as foreign brands like Capilano. In fact, the Capilano Pure & Natural Honey sample which was tested was found to contain three antibiotics and was non-compliant with the EIC export standards as well as some standards imposed in Australia itself.

Capilano has said that the sample tested by CSE could have been spurious or fake. The company has also claimed to have done some tests itself on the same batch – and has found no sign “of the residues alleged to be in the honey”.

In response to the company’s claims, Chandra Bhushan, deputy director, CSE, says: “CSE stands by its study and its findings. This is a standard response from a company which has been caught in the act – it immediately goes into a denial mode. We had seen similar responses from companies when we had tested soft drinks for pesticides, but the Joint Parliamentary Committee which looked into our study vindicated our findings.”

On Capilano’s claim that the sample could have been counterfeit, CSE scientists point out that the sample was picked up randomly from a shop, and was clearly labeled with the company’s name and other information. “If Capilano thinks counterfeits of its products are being sold in Indian markets, it’s the company’s problem. We have picked up a product which had their label and we believed it was a Capilano product,” says Chandra Bhushan.

As for the company testing its products and finding them within norms, CSE has asked Capilano to come clean by putting its study reports in the public domain.

India has no regulations for the honey it imports, which makes it an easy market for foreign firms and their products, said Chandra Bhushan.

•    For clarifications and details, please contact Souparno Banerjee(souparno@cseindia.org, 9910864339)