FDA Recalls Imported Honey Made From High Fructose Corn Syrup and Epoxy
The Food and Drug Administration issuedÂ an immediate recall for a large shipment of honey imported from Mainland China that claims to contain â100% pure, delicious and natural honey,â but is actually a mixture of high fructose corn syrup,Â petroleum-based solvents, resin, and artificial coloring and flavorings.Marketed under the brand Tasty Swarm Honey, the productÂ is said to cause immediate stomach distress and discomfort, with several people whoâve sampled the product saying theyÂ instantly felt sick. At least one person was hospitalized with food poisoning after consuming the honey.Adding sweeteners to honey is an FDA-approved manufacturing process. Any honey product that is not labeled â100% Pureâ is allowed to contain additives, sweeteners, andÂ extenders. Â Due to questions concerningÂ possible adverse health effects, high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, has come under increased scrutiny and examination over the years. Â Derived from converted cornstarch and cheaper to produce than refined sugar, itÂ has dominated the worldwide sweetener market in recent years.âWith this particular product, itâs not a question of the quantity or quality of the artificial ingredients that were added,â said FDA Quality Control Officer Barbara Temple, âbecause the entire composition is artificial.Â  Thereâs absolutelyÂ no nutritional value whatsoever. Consuming this productÂ could result in severe illness. In fact, thereâs no way anyone could have possibly eaten this withoutÂ having gotten violently ill. Youâd be better off literally eating granulated sugar straight out of the bag by the spoon full.âA routine FDA inquiry examining purity and quality standards of imported food items prompted an investigation and detailed analysis into the manufacturerâs products and practices.âRecently,â said Temple, âwe were informed that the Tasty Swarm companyÂ also manufactures epoxy, bathroom grout, industrial lubricants, glue, nail polish remover, and fabric softener, so our inspections were significantly stepped up after that discovery. Â We actually used their honey to repair a broken ceramic tile in our company bathroom, and itâs holding on strong.Â I wouldnât advise eating it, or adding it to your morning tea.ââCuriously, the company also manufactures cheese and canned soup,â continued Temple. âWhen we tested those products for contaminants, they were found to be top-notch â and completely delicious. Itâs just this honey that theyâre really gettingÂ wrong. Itâs a sticky mess for Tasty Swarm, thatâs for sure.ââI ate most of the jar before I really started feeling sick,â said Joe Goldsmith, who was hospitalized with symptoms of food poisoning after eating Tasty Swarm. âI like to take honey and just pour it into a glass and sort of slurp it down with a straw. I got the honey at a local closeout discount store, but it was still in date, so I figured it would be okay. Actually, now that I think about it, the date said it didnât expire until sometime in 2035.âRetail store chains recalling the product from shelves include Albertsonâs, Big M, Food City, and Publix. Tasty Swarm could not be reached for further comment, but a statement from a company representative said they would be âreally surprisedâ if there were any problems with the honey, and that even Winnie The Pooh himself would beÂ ecstaticÂ to get stuck in a jar of their product.