On July 18, 2024, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) released a risk assessment report on imported honey. The main contents are as follows:

(1) The report describes and identifies the main hazards, key control measures, and mitigation measures associated with imported honey, and aims to inform potential hazards associated with honey and guide market access audits and compliance activities for imported honey;

(2) Between 2016 and 2022, the UK imported 335,902 tonnes of honey, of which China accounted for 68%, Mexico accounted for 6.3%, Poland accounted for 4.4%, etc.

(3) Food safety alert: The FSA banned imports of a batch of honey in 2023 due to sildenafil and tadalafil, involving a total of 26 honey recalls, including five batches containing excessive amounts of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), one batch containing excessive amounts of sucrose, one batch containing THC, one batch containing "trace amounts of milk protein" and one batch containing salmonella;

(4) FSA conducted hazard analysis on the microbiological hazards, chemical hazards (pollutants, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, toxins, etc.), radioactive hazards, allergens, microplastics/particulate matter (including pollen) hazards of honey, and concluded that the most worrisome microbiological hazards of honey are botulinum. Agricultural residues and animal residues are harmful, but the concentrations involved are usually low. The analysis found that some of the toxins found in honey, such as sargastoxin, cassava toxin and uncinine, may pose potential public health concerns.

Learn more: https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/Honey%20Risk%20Profile%202024.pdf