International peer-reviewed study validates our honey quality, says Patanjali

HARIDWAR: Patanjali Ayurved has said its honey meets the highest standards of quality and purity after a peer-reviewed research study was published in Applied Food Research, an international journal by Elsevier.

The company said on Thursday that the study provides "scientific validation of Patanjali’s long-stated claims on product purity and consumer safety." Managing director Acharya Balkrishna said Patanjali "practises what it preaches and remains committed to protecting consumers from adulterated food products". He added that "Indian food products have often faced scepticism at global forums, but publication of the research in an international journal demonstrates India’s capability to achieve and maintain world-class research and quality standards.

" Balkrishna said the findings were "a matter of pride not only for Patanjali but also for the Indian FMCG sector as a whole." The study said that Patanjali honey contains no external sugars, synthetic syrups or harmful chemical residues. It also found that the product complies with all regulatory requirements and reflects robust industrial-grade quality systems. Anurag Varshney, chief scientist at Patanjali, said 25 batches of Patanjali honey were analysed using advanced techniques such as HPLC, HPTLC and UHPLC. "The results showed that all batches were fully compliant with food safety and quality norms prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The study also observed a high level of consistency in quality across batches," he added. Patanjali honey had faced controversy following a 2020 report by Centre for Science & Environment which alleged that along with other major brands,it had failed International Nuclear Magnetic Resonance test for adulteration with sugar syrup. Patanjali had at the time refuted the findings.