HSI, CBP in Houston seize illegally imported honey valued at $2.45 million

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ^ | news release

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have seized since October illegally imported Chinese honey valued at $2.45 million destined for U.S. consumers.

HSI and CBP have stepped up efforts regarding commercial fraud investigations that focus on U.S. economic, and health and safety interests. Anti-dumping schemes create a divergent market that negatively affects legitimate businesses.

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

Chinese honey is usually diluted with something like corn syrup, and often contains dangerous antibiotics that are banned in many countries. It is a real problem for us. Not only does it flood the market with cheap honey that negatively affects U.S. bee keepers, but it ends up in many of the products on our grocery shelves that contain honey, such as breads, breakfast cereals, salad dressings, baby foods, to name a few.

[BipolarBob]

This is one product where it is important to buy American only. Imports will mix Chinese honey because of costs. Not good. Like it says, it ain’t just honey in there.

[taxcontrol]

I was not aware of this so thanks for the info. I buy local honey from a church member but never knew this was a problem.

[GeronL]

You gotta hope it’s honey, honey

I have doubts, myself

[gaijin]

Something like 80% of products labeled honey in the USA have very little to do with honey and the culprit is almost always China.

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

Hi taxcontrol,
You are right! Buying your honey from a trusted LOCAL beekeeper is the only way to insure you are getting real honey. And realize that once it is “processed” (even by good companies like Sue Bee), it looses all the qualities that make it healthy...... so you need to make sure you are buying raw, unprocessed honey.

[cripplecreek]

I don’t buy much honey but when I do I buy it from a local beekeeper.

[logi_cal869]

I am so satisfied that CBP is expending resources catching honey smugglers. That must mean that our border is secure and the illegal 'invasion' is not a problem after all.

</sarc>

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

No.

However contaminated food from abroad is a problem that does fall inside their mandate.

[Lazamataz]

Chinese honey is often spiked with Methlamine, which enables Walter White to convert it to blue-sky Methamphetamine.

[Lazamataz]

I like to pour Chinese honey in a tub. then bring my honey in there for some hittin’.

[logi_cal869]

You’re missing the obvious hypocrisy clearly stated by my sarcasm.

But that’s ‘ok’...(sigh)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Something like 80% of products labeled honey in the USA have very little to do with honey and the culprit is almost always China.

[Pollster1]

Chinese honey is usually diluted with something like corn syrup, and often contains dangerous antibiotics that are banned in many countries.

I was going to mention that too. One of my kids did a test (I think in an AP Chemistry or AP Biology class) on store-bought honey and found more corn syrup than honey in the "100% pure honey" from China, but only honey in the more expensive local brands of honey. I do not knowingly buy Chinese foods - ever.

[Vinnie]

I will not knowingly buy any food products from China in particular and SE Asia for seafood either.
Won't buy any pet foods, treats from China either.

I think one of the national pet chains has stopped selling Chinese treats .

I know I'm still getting Chinese ingredients in some foods but if I can avoid it I do.

[Apple Pan Dowdy]

"I will not knowingly buy any food products from China..."

The problem with the Chinese honey is that it is prevalent in foods that use honey as an ingredient, and they do not have disclose where they get the ingredients from. All too often the ingredient is Chinese honey and we have no way of knowing.