New Delhi: The India Honey Alliance (IHA), in collaboration with NIFTEM-K, successfully hosted the ‘Hive to Home: Vision 2030 – Building a Scientific & Sustainable Honey Industry’ seminar at the India International Centre Wednesday. The event aligns with the Prime Minister’s Honey Mission, aiming to strengthen India’s honey value chain through scientific progress and sustainable practices. It brought together policymakers, scientists, and industry leaders to discuss quality assurance, sustainability, and global competitiveness in India’s honey sector.
The seminar was attended by key government officials, including Subrata Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI); H.S. Oberoi, Director, NIFTEM-K; Satyen Panda, Advisor, QA, FSSAI; Kaushik Banerjee, Director, ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes; Rajesh R Nair, Deputy Managing Director, NDDB CALF; Komal Chauhan, Dean Research and Outreach, Head CFRA & CEFF; Balasubramanian K, Joint Director, Quality Assurance, FSSAI; and Ranjan Mitra, immediate past President, AOAC International-India Section.
Subrata Gupta described the seminar as an “extremely important event with far-reaching impact” and highlighted the need to protect bees and train beekeepers scientifically to ensure honey authenticity. He urged FSSAI to work closely with NIFTEM and other institutes to develop relevant standards for India. He also encouraged IHA to expand and help maintain India’s position as a leading honey producer and exporter. He stressed the importance of scientific advancements in testing methods to uphold global standards and enhance industry credibility.
The opening session, moderated by Deepak Jolly, Secretary General of IHA, focused on preparing Indian honey for global and domestic markets. Discussions covered honey standards, safety, purity, and the overall state of the industry. Experts shared insights on strengthening standards and the role of research institutions in building a strong honey ecosystem. Narayanan Renganathan, Chairperson of IHA, presented industry perspectives on challenges and solutions. Samuel Godefroy, Former Vice Chairperson of FAO/CODEX Alimentarius, joined virtually to discuss the importance of scientific evaluation in regulatory decisions. Addressing concerns about HMF in honey, he described it as a quality parameter and mentioned an ongoing risk assessment study on the subject.
A panel discussion on harmonisation for quality and safety through standards and testing addressed key challenges such as the lack of standardised testing protocols, the need for strong regulations, and the importance of debunking myths about honey through scientific validation. Experts shared insights on standardisation, safety, and sustainability, while industry leaders Mansoor Ali, Vice Chairperson of IHA, and Amit Gupta discussed ways to strengthen the honey supply chain and expand market opportunities. Ed George, a global key opinion leader, joined virtually from the USA to present the latest advancements in honey testing technology to tackle emerging challenges.
Key recommendations from the seminar included conducting scientific studies on Indian honey to revise standards and thresholds, improving quality benchmarks, ensuring regulatory compliance, raising consumer awareness, and developing advanced training for beekeepers. Experts stressed that maintaining the purity and authenticity of honey requires collaboration between policymakers, researchers, and industry players.
Summing up the discussions, Narayanan Renganathan, Chairperson of IHA, emphasised that ensuring trust in honey quality is a shared responsibility across the entire ecosystem. He reiterated that ongoing collaboration, research-driven policies, and consumer awareness are essential to establishing India as a leader in high-quality, sustainable honey production.