Thai olive oil and honey , real or fake ?

[superal]

Twas not until recently that I was aware that both olive oil , extra virgin olive oil and also honey in Thailand can be faked with fake honey coming mostly from China who do not deliver directly from China but do so through other innocent countries soas not to raise suspicions . China's fake honey production rises year on year whilst the world's bee population declines year on year . 

So vast amounts of both honey and olive oils are sold by supermarkets under various labels which are either unreadable because of micro print or the info has been covered by the stores own pricing label ( very common on many supermarket items ) . 

So my point is , how can you be confident of buying an authentic  product ?    Google search gives some methods of home testing but by then you have already made the purchase . I am somewhat surprised  that given the high cost of the two products the supermarkets do not give any assurances of the authenticity . 

I remember a couple of years ago in the UK it was possible to trace a products origin by way of a given traceability serial number but TIT .

[VocalNeal]

Put honey in the freezer. Real honey doesn't freeze. Or so my wife tells me.

[superal]

8 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Put honey in the freezer. Real honey doesn't freeze. Or so my wife tells me.

Trouble is you have already bought it , tis OK if it proves to be a genuine product but if not what would you do ? also any answers on the olive oil ?

[VocalNeal]

15 minutes ago, superal said:

Trouble is you have already bought it , tis OK if it proves to be a genuine product but if not what would you do ? also any answers on the olive oil ?

 

Well it is the same as installing CCTV to prevent burglary.

 

With honey if it freezes don't buy the same from the same shop. 

[Morch]

15 minutes ago, superal said:

Trouble is you have already bought it , tis OK if it proves to be a genuine product but if not what would you do ? also any answers on the olive oil ?

 

It just means that you'll know not to buy this or that brand next time.

For honey, there are some high-priced imports available (mostly in Bangkok and other big cities), and it's possible to find local brands or even wild honey which are fine. Again, hit and miss.

 

Olive oil, as far as I'm aware, is all imported one way or the other. Most of the brands on offer are low quality, and are not necessarily stored properly either. Again, high-end imports available (but do check dates, and even so can be duds). I make do with that or mid-range purchases, previously supplemented by bringing over from abroad. Unfortunately, Mrs. Morch developed a taste for this, so can't fib her with the usual fare.

[xylophone]

If you buy olive oil from somewhere like Tops/Central, Villa Market and Big C then you are pretty well assured of getting the real deal, even though some of the cheaper stuff in the likes of Makro can be a blend of oils from places like Morocco and other obscure places.

 

Having said that, some "reputable" olive oils are still oils sourced from various EU countries. If you want to go top-notch, then there are some high quality oils from a single olive estates also in Tops.

 

As for honey, well I wouldn't trust any Thai honey after hearing from locals what can go into the stuff.

[norfolkandchance]

Spanish Olive oil. Baht 800 for 5 litres. Lazada. Excellent 

[edgarfriendly]

850 with 60 shipping now.

 

decent?

[Cake Monster]

Fact

Honey has been found in the Egyptian Tombs, and has been Carbon Dated to be Thousands of Years old, and it is still edible.

I have heard all Honey will last ages ( dont know if true or why )

As for the Thai Honey sold by the old Lady on the Street - buyer beware

[PGSan]

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

like Morocco and other obscure places.

What is obscure about Morroco?  Noting also that they grow very fine olives in this Mediterranean land a stone’s throw from Spain.

[PGSan]

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

 

As for honey, well I wouldn't trust any Thai honey after hearing from locals what can go into the stuff.

You mean that Thai bees are on the lao kao too? 

[superal]

19 minutes ago, edgarfriendly said:

850 with 60 shipping now.

 

decent?

If its too good to be true ? and at 170 baht a liter when normally between 500 and 1000 baht a liter , the mind boggles .

[superal]

4 hours ago, xylophone said:

If you buy olive oil from somewhere like Tops/Central, Villa Market and Big C then you are pretty well assured of getting the real deal, even though some of the cheaper stuff in the likes of Makro can be a blend of oils from places like Morocco and other obscure places.

 

Having said that, some "reputable" olive oils are still oils sourced from various EU countries. If you want to go top-notch, then there are some high quality oils from a single olive estates also in Tops.

 

As for honey, well I wouldn't trust any Thai honey after hearing from locals what can go into the stuff.

You would think so wouldn't you ? but I recall a few years ago in the   UK Tesco were caught selling fake Rothmans cigarettes , their buyers were unaware of them being fakes but somewhere along the supply line there was a dodgy dealer .

[JHicks]

5 hours ago, superal said:

So my point is , how can you be confident of buying an authentic  product ?    Google search gives some methods of home testing but by then you have already made the purchase

I don't think you can ever be completely sure. The problem with fake honey is that the manufacturing process is now so sophisticated that it can't be detected by ordinary methods. If you care enough you may be able to find honey that's been imported from a country that isn't badly affected. France would be a good choice, according to a 2018 study you can find on the Honey Authenticity Project website. Big C obviously has a tie-up with Casino, but then the supermarket brands are the worst affected.

[ExpatOilWorker]

This OTOP honey seems genuine.

About 200 baht for 770 ml.

 

 

 

[mike787]

Order form Amazon or buy New Zealand Manuka honey...highest quality in the world, keep buying the junk they sell and guessing.  

[LomSak27]

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Put honey in the freezer. Real honey doesn't freeze. Or so my wife tells me.

 

Traditional Thai 'low end 'fakes. Usually sold in old sangsom bottles, at market or from peddlers. Water is added to increase volume. In a couple weeks it will start a fermentation process. You can smell it. BTW I am told it is still usable but, yes, scam. Although genuine honey + water.

 

High end fakes, bottled, from China, sugar syrups are added. Could be some thai companies doing that too. Likely a misunderstanding. 

[xylophone]

56 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Fact

Honey has been found in the Egyptian Tombs, and has been Carbon Dated to be Thousands of Years old, and it is still edible.

I have heard all Honey will last ages ( dont know if true or why )

As for the Thai Honey sold by the old Lady on the Street - buyer beware

If you want top notch Honey........

 

$5000 for a pot of Kiwi honey: Liquid gold flying off Harrods shelves  

 

The True Honey Company has produced a higher grade, even scarcer variety of UMF33 rated mānuka honey and has 200 jars of the liquid gold up for grabs.

London's luxury department store Harrods has snapped up all 200 jars produced, and the honey is so rare not even True Honey is selling it on its website.

For £2595 - around $4964 New Zealand dollars - per 230g jar, the honey weighs in at close to an eye-watering $20,000 per kilogram.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/5000-for-a-pot-of-kiwi-honey-liquid-gold-flying-off-harrods-shelves/HB7MVFWQK24LMN2KUOELCH4GHQ/

[xylophone]

51 minutes ago, PGSan said:

You mean that Thai bees are on the lao kao too? 

No, but I have it on good authority that sugar syrup can be added to local honey, to bulk it out a little, and that seems to be fairly commonplace.

[sirocco]

There have been no real honeys for several decades, except to buy it directly from the producer.
It is a thick syrup mixed with honey of low qualities, of artificial taste and scent (pine, lavender, acacia, etc.).
Real honey sometimes crystallizes, especially in cold weather, and can freeze.
It can also crystallize, even if it has a tiny dose of syrup.
No need to freeze it, it will keep for an eternity.
As for olive oil, at a price of 800 B for 5 l, it is oil to unscrew the nuts.
The average price of a liter of olive oil is 15 euros.
Of course, you may find it "excellent" in taste, but you can imagine that these traffickers will do anything to attract you.
This is <deleted>.

[superal]

43 minutes ago, mike787 said:

Order form Amazon or buy New Zealand Manuka honey...highest quality in the world, keep buying the junk they sell and guessing.  

Amazon ? do they deliver in Thailand ?

[superal]

22 minutes ago, xylophone said:

If you want top notch Honey........

 

$5000 for a pot of Kiwi honey: Liquid gold flying off Harrods shelves  

 

The True Honey Company has produced a higher grade, even scarcer variety of UMF33 rated mānuka honey and has 200 jars of the liquid gold up for grabs.

London's luxury department store Harrods has snapped up all 200 jars produced, and the honey is so rare not even True Honey is selling it on its website.

For £2595 - around $4964 New Zealand dollars - per 230g jar, the honey weighs in at close to an eye-watering $20,000 per kilogram.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/5000-for-a-pot-of-kiwi-honey-liquid-gold-flying-off-harrods-shelves/HB7MVFWQK24LMN2KUOELCH4GHQ/

Wow

[xylophone]

13 minutes ago, superal said:

Amazon ? do they deliver in Thailand ?

You can buy New Zealand Manuka honey in Tops, and you can buy quite expensive ones there too with a high UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating. 

 

Hydrogen peroxide gives most honey its antibiotic quality. But some types, including manuka honey, also have other ingredients with antibacterial qualities.

 

The major antibacterial component in manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MG). MG is a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities.

 

In manuka honey, MG comes from the conversion of another compound, dihydroxyacetone, that is found in high concentration in the nectar of manuka flowers.

 

The higher the concentration of MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect.

 

A few years back a wound dressing which was impregnated with manuka honey was made by a New Zealand company and it proved to be very successful, and was exported around the world.

 

Don't know if it's still going, but the effects of the honey on wounds, especially those that wouldn't heal from the likes of diabetes, were quite remarkable.

Edited February 8, 2021 by xylophone

[lungbing]

The therapeutic effect of honey on wounds has been known for thousands of years.

[Morch]

3 hours ago, PGSan said:

What is obscure about Morroco?  Noting also that they grow very fine olives in this Mediterranean land a stone’s throw from Spain.

 

There are very fine olives in pretty many countries, but that's not what you normally get. I think it was a comment about certain companies buying bulk of lower quality olives/olive oil from countries with less regulation or lower prices, then rebrand or mix.

[Morch]

2 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Traditional Thai 'low end 'fakes. Usually sold in old sangsom bottles, at market or from peddlers. Water is added to increase volume. In a couple weeks it will start a fermentation process. You can smell it. BTW I am told it is still usable but, yes, scam. Although genuine honey + water.

 

High end fakes, bottled, from China, sugar syrups are added. Could be some thai companies doing that too. Likely a misunderstanding. 

 

MiL gets a bunch of such bottles from this crone who descends to town from Kanchanaburi every few months. I was very skeptical, but it's decent honey, thick and sometimes with bits inside. Not sure how legal it is, probably doesn't grow her own bees and all that.

[Nout]

8 hours ago, superal said:

Twas not until recently that I was aware that both olive oil , extra virgin olive oil and also honey in Thailand can be faked with fake honey coming mostly from China who do not deliver directly from China but do so through other innocent countries soas not to raise suspicions . China's fake honey production rises year on year whilst the world's bee population declines year on year . 

So vast amounts of both honey and olive oils are sold by supermarkets under various labels which are either unreadable because of micro print or the info has been covered by the stores own pricing label ( very common on many supermarket items ) . 

So my point is , how can you be confident of buying an authentic  product ?    Google search gives some methods of home testing but by then you have already made the purchase . I am somewhat surprised  that given the high cost of the two products the supermarkets do not give any assurances of the authenticity . 

I remember a couple of years ago in the UK it was possible to trace a products origin by way of a given traceability serial number but TIT .

In Italy the mafia connection and the adulterated olive oil is well documented...As for honey in Thailand...most is fine.

[Nout]

57 minutes ago, lungbing said:

The therapeutic effect of honey on wounds has been known for thousands of years.

More myth than reality. Maggots are more useful in cleaning wound.

[Aforek]

Makro sells Spanish olive oil, you really think they sell fake products ? 

 

 

[kevvy]

If you want the best  you have to pay for it ..We love new Zealand honey .