The fake honey saga never ends in the Philippines. This time it was at the annual outdoor Organic Farmer's Festival where the fake honey makes an appearance.
I approached this table the lady asked if I would like to buy some honey. I asked, "Where's the foam?" and the guys with her said its all natural. I said, "No, where is the foam not where's it from," and I shook a bottle and pointed to the top where the foam should be. The lady said, "Oh it's right here," and picked up a bottle that had a tiny white ring of bubbles at the neck. Next I was offered a sample. Very sweet. Likely just sugar.
The honey in these jars is rather dark. And why are there various bottle sizes with no labels? Why are their ribbons did to the necks of each bottle? Just to the left out of frame is a stand that has more honey but it's in little jars and not bottles. Over all the selling point for me was the lack of foam. That's a guarantee that this is fake.
This is actually the second honey display I saw. The first one was the third. How did this seller get into the organic market? Who is vetting these people? I encountered this group before selling their worthless junk at the mall. Green honey? Who would ever believe it!? Sadly if you search for "wise man's food" honey my previous post about honey is the top result! That is sad because it means there is still no information about this company on the internet. The fact that this fake honey is being sold at an organic market is maddening.
The honey in these bottles looks legit to me. The honey moves freely and is not thick. There is a very nice white foam on the top. They are also selling honey balm. None of the other tables is selling any other bee product except honey. The fact that there are only eight bottles of uniform size also gives a look of legitimacy. Honey is not sold in massive containers like "Wise Man's Food" offers for sale. Nor is honey green. This is the first honey seller I approached. The cost was 200 pesos which is a little cheaper than normal. I pay 250 for the honey I usually buy. But it seemed legit so I bought a bottle and some of the balm. This is also the first table I approached.
Searching for the name on the label, Victoria's Integrated Social Forestry Farmers Association or VISFFA brings up very little and no information about the company.
Whatever is in this bottle looks good to me. The foam is abundant. The bottle is sticky. Pouring it onto a spoon reveals a thin and light coloured liquid. The taste is tangy. A bit of burning in the back of the throat.
Is the balm real? I can't say. Searching images for honey balm shows yellow cream products but this is green. Maybe that's because it's raw and all natural. I have no idea.
This is my fourth article about fake honey in the Philippines. The way things are going I'm sure there will be another. Pretty sad that there is so many fake goods for sale in the Philippines.
