With honey, are you getting premium?

Kim Fewster, owner of Fewster's Farm Honey, Australia

Food critics have only good things to say about Jarrah honey, and for Kim Fewster, it is one of the best products that nature has to offer. Mr Fewster is the owner of Fewster’s Farm Honey in western Australia, and the country’s representative to the Asian Apiculture Association. His company has over a hundred years of experience in beekeeping and Jarrah honey production, so who can argue with that? In April, I had the opportunity to meet with him in Singapore. Below are some of the questions I asked. The rest of our interview is in the latest issue of FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal.

How many honey producers are there in Western Australia?

Western Australian honey producers have declined by over 300 percent in 30 years, due to poor returns for honey and younger beekeepers not entering the industry. Currently about 35 commercial beekeepers in Western Australia, over 700 hobbyists and part-time beekeepers with less than 50 hives also contribute.

There are not many commercial beekeepers left in Western Australia, and very few of the equivalent size of my operation. The significant decline in the amount of honey produced in WA is due to honey production being both expensive, and requiring a very high level of skill and experience by the beekeeper.  

You export to China which is the biggest manufacturer of honey.

China is a very large producer of honey, but the quality can never match that of our organic Jarrah.  Chinese customers are very aware of honey adulteration with other sugars and syrups by many honey producers and packers.

Jarrah honey is very unique and rare with all of its health and healing properties.  The people of China want this type of premium honey, as demonstrated by the large amount of Manuka being sold already.  However, Jarrah is generally three times more active than most Manuka honey, and looks and tastes much better. 

It seems that counterfeit honey is still a big issue in the industry.

We have a policy of packaging all Fewster’s Farm premium honey at the farm at Muchea. We also apply a quality assurance seal across the lid to prevent any tampering after the products are shipped.  Our customers can be completely confident in our reputation, and our history of delivering only the best pure honey that nature and our bees can provide.

I believe that government agencies need to enforce quality standards, and penalize companies who describe and label honey incorrectly.  If a consumer has any doubts about the quality of a honey that they buy, they should advise the retailer from where they bought it, and if dissatisfied with the response, advise the government.

Is the honey market competitive?

The international honey market for low-quality honey is very competitive, and this unfortunately leads to some amount of honey adulteration and misleading marketing in many countries. The premium quality honey market has only a few varieties, such as Jarrah, Manuka, Orange Blossom, Buck Wheat, Lavender, and a few others.

However, experts that have tasted many premium honeys say that Jarrah is the finest in the world, particularly with all the other very special, distinct qualities and properties that have been proven by scientific research.

Read the entire article in FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal July 2014