FSSAI directive on import of golden syrup, invert sugar syrup and rice syrup used for adulteration is a dead end
Chinese trade portals like Alibaba advertise fructose syrup that can bypass tests
Same Chinese companies that advertise this fructose syrup that can beat C3 and C4 tests also export to India
ON OUR trail to probe adulteration in honey we had two leads. First, beekeepers not getting a fair price for their honey indicated possible adulteration with sugar syrup thus reducing demand for raw honey. Second, government suspected adulteration as it had not only introduced tests to detect sugar syrup from rice or corn, but had asked for tests that would catch sugar syrup, which is undetected by the laid down standards for exported honey.
So, now the next probing question was: what is this syrup? Who makes it? Where does it come from? Our clue came from the May 2020 FSSAI directive that specified that “golden syrup, invert sugar syrup, rice syrup” coming into India needed to be tracked as these could be used to adulterate honey. So, we started to find out about these syrups and thought this would be easy.
But when we checked the export-import database of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, two of the named syrups—rice syrup and golden syrup— could not be found. Each product imported into the country has what is called the harmonised system (HS) code that describes the type of good that is shipped. There were no codes for these syrups. It seemed we had reached another dead end in our investigation.
We also found that what was called “Invert Sugar Syrup” had an HS code, but when we looked into this, the imports were in small quantity—only about 1,300 metric tonnes (MT) in 2017-18 and 2,500 MT in 2018-19. This was not a significant quantity to indulge in a large-scale adulteration of honey. FSSAI’s clue left us with no leads.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Oceans On Simmer
The world's oceans will witness marine heatwaves, sea ice-free Arctic, severe cyclones
Science For Just Solutions
If science-policy interfaces are to deliver just and effective solutions to climate change, they must involve indigenous peoples and local communities
Does India care about TRIPS waiver anymore?
As WTO talks begin on a compromise deal worked out with India's participation, New Delhi remains enigmatically silent
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME
The 50th anniversary celebration of the Stockholm conference should be about our common future, not the divisions of the past
MEASURING PROGRESS
Sustainability will command top priority when the world meets to review Stockholm; post-pandemic recovery must be inclusive
Bichhri still sees red
Compensation, land restoration and access to potable water remain a dream even 35 years after rogue industries poisoned Bichhri's aquifers
DECENTRALISATION OF POWER
Power generation and transmission models that are local and self-sustaining can increase access to energy in the future
BENEFIT WITHHELD
Two decades ago India adopted a law that mandates sharing of benefits from commercial utilisation of biodiversity with local communities. What has kept the law from protecting the interest of people and the biodiversity? VIBHA VARSHNEY travels to bio-rich parts of India to find out
A grim outlook
Investing in restoration of degraded land makes economic sense, can see massive financial benefits
Wheat Feels March Heat
Record-shattering temperatures in March and April reduce wheat yield across North India
Killer Heat Is Here
The record temperatures ravaging India are a warning of global catastrophes to come
Nigerian Projects Stall as Chinese Loans Dry Up
President Buhari's legacy could be marred by Beijing's waning appetite for costly public works abroad
FOOD FOR Thought
All about food
THE TREE OF Life and Fertility
DR. V. RAMAKANTHA shares some insights into the science, history and mythology of the Banyan tree, also known as the Bengal Fig or Indian Fig. The Banyan is one of those mythical trees that has had an important place in the life and history of the people of India since ancient times. It is also home to many species of birds, animals, and epiphytic plants.
East Meets West
KALYANI ADUSUMILLI grew up in a minority group in the United States, straddling cultures, learning how to fit in, and later learning how to accept the traditions of her heritage. Today, she is watching her children going through the same process, shifting their cultural identity, as they head toward adulthood in the melting pot of a multicultural society.
The End of China's Bulk-Buying Boom
A distinctive form of e-commerce is in free fall after a shift in attitude in Beijing
China's Stimulus Won't Bail Out the World
The drag from lockdowns will largely cancel any boost from new spending
ON JAPAN'S FRONT LINES
Dispatches from Asia's new Cold War
NILANGANA BANERJEE: 2 series The 'Selves' | The Lullaby
The series Selves aims to artistically represent the psychological conflicts we face when we weigh ourselves based on socially determined of what is ideal and where we stand with the distorted and one-size that fits all defined.
The Cost of Covid Zero Keeps Rising
China's economy hasn't been in this bad a shape since the start of the pandemic