Aldi honey sparks Australian-made debate on Facebook

Aldi customers have taken to Facebook to share their confusion over an Aldi honey, which is labeled as being 20 per cent Australian made.

An Aldi shopper vowed to “never again” buy honey without first checking the label after finding out the Bramwells Mixed Blossom Honey she bought was only 20 per cent Australian honey.

“I try to buy Aussie products and sometimes end up with disappointment by being in a hurry. What would comprise 20 per cent Aussie in honey whilst it says 100 per cent honey?” posted the shopper to a popular Facebook group, Aldi Mums.

The woman shared the post alongside two photos of the jar of honey, showing the label which reads in fine print: “Packed in Australia from at least 20 per cent Australian ingredients”.

Hundreds of shoppers flooded the comments, offering theories as to why the Bramwells honey only contained 20 per cent Australian ingredients.

“It's a mixed honey. So they've mixed 20 per cent Australian honey with 80 per cent imported honey to get a particular flavour profile,” wrote one shopper.

“It may not even be 100 per cent honey,” said another user, who explained that the C4 sugar test they use in Australia to test the authenticity of commercial honey cannot detect if the honey has been blended with a syrup that mimics honey.

She added: “So a jar of commercial honey that says 100 per cent honey could actually be 20 per cent honey and 80 per cent syrup.”

While other crafty shoppers suggested that the customers try the water test to ensure the authenticity of honey.

“If you drizzle it into water and it dissolves then it's not real honey. Real honey should settle on the bottom,” instructed one user.

Yahoo News Australia asked Aldi for more details about the contents of the honey, but they have not commented.

‘Buy from local beekeepers’ suggest shoppers

Meanwhile, many shoppers suggested that people avoid buying honey from supermarkets altogether and source it from local beekeepers.

“Buy direct from beekeepers,” said one woman.

While many shoppers suggested trawling local Facebook groups and marketplaces, like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree, to find local beekeepers that sell pure honey.

“I would suggest joining a Facebook group like Beekeepers Australia and ask there for pure honey,” wrote one woman.

“Ask on your local [Facebook] group for a local beekeeper. It's great to buy local honey as it's also better for you,” wrote a second.

While a third woman suggested scouring Facebook Marketplace for local honey producers.

Meanwhile, other shoppers insisted that you can buy 100 per cent honey from Aldi, but must ensure you check the label first.

Shoppers shared some pure honey they bought from Aldi, including Bramwells’ own 100 per cent Australian Eucalyptus Honey and Pure Australian Honey.

One shopper also pointed out that Capilano honey sources their honey from local beekeepers, so all of it will be Australian honey.

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What is special about Australian honey?

Australian honey is renowned for its flavour, colour, and quality, and is sourced from several varieties of native eucalyptus trees.

In fact, 80 per cent of honey produced in Australia comes from Eucalyptus trees.

According to Capilano’s website: “Australia arguably has the healthiest honey bees in the world, and is largely free of the major pests and diseases seen in other honey bee populations around the globe.”

Australian honey is also held to a higher standard, as there are strict rules that regulate the entire beekeeping process – from how bees are managed to minimising environmental impact.

This means that Australian honey is much safer to consume that honey from other parts of the world.

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