Abstract

The processing of bee products has recently become more frequent due to the rapidly growing market and demand for healthy, natural, and functional food. Therefore, bee products, and above all honey, while maintaining the reputation of healthy and natural foods, become carriers of various additives. Their consumption without proper control, or not declaring their presence in the composition, may pose a significant hazard to human health and life. This study was based on data mining with the use of all accessible RASFF records. They were formatted to analyze all chemical hazards that have occurred in bee honey and have been noted by EU countries to support swift reaction by food safety authorities since 2014. Within 10 food categories presenting 13,295 records, 93 records applied to bee products, including 79 records that referred to honey, 65% (n = 51) of which related to chemical hazards. PDE-5 inhibitors, i.e., sildenafil and tadalafil, were identified 14 times during the last 6 years and were the second most numerous group of hazards in honey and honey-based products after VMPs. The periodically published results of market sample tests and the continuing trend of RASFF notifications of these compounds in honey and honey-based products may suggest an iceberg phenomenon that requires frequent and thorough inspections.

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