Why should honey be tested?

Honey testing is a mandatory requirement for businesses intending to export goods, undergo food safety inspections, or declare their products before market launch.

Honey testing serves as a method to evaluate product quality; it assists regulatory authorities in managing market supplies while providing consumers with greater confidence when using honey and honey-based products.

Honey testing parameters according to current standards

Honey testing is conducted based on the requirements specified in TCVN 12605:2019, the Vietnamese national standard for honey quality. Accordingly, the following key parameters are typically assessed:

Main composition and quality requirements:

1. Honey offered for sale shall not have any food ingredient added to it, including food additives, nor shall any substance be added other than honey itself. Honey shall be free from any objectionable matter, off-flavors, off-odors, or taints absorbed from foreign sources during processing and storage. Honey shall not show any signs of fermentation or effervescence. No pollen or any constituent particular to honey shall be removed except where this is unavoidable in the removal of organic or inorganic foreign matter.
2. Honey shall not be heated or otherwise processed to such an extent that its essential composition is changed and/or its quality is impaired.
3. Honey shall not be subjected to chemical or biochemical treatment that affects its natural crystallization.
4. Moisture Content (≤ 20 %)
5. Sugar Content (fructose, glucose ≥ 60g/100g, sucrose ≤ 5 g/100g) 
6. Water-Insoluble Solids (≤ 0.1 g/100g)

Contaminants: Heavy metals, pesticide and veterinary drug residues.

Hygienic:

• The products covered by this standard shall be processed and handled in accordance with TCVN 5603:2008 (CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4-2003) – Code of Practice: General Principles of Food Hygiene, as well as other relevant codes of practice, and TCVN 9632:2016 – Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.
• Products shall comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with CAC/GL 21-1997 – Principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for foods

Labeling: Compliance with current regulations under Decree 37/2026/ND-CP – Guidelines for the implementation of the Law on Product and Goods Quality.

Honey testing

Eurofins Food and Feed Testing Vietnam provides comprehensive Farm-to-Fork solutions for honey producers, importers, exporters, distributors, retailers, and brand owners. Through an integrated portfolio of testing, inspection, auditing, and certification services, we help ensure product quality, food safety, regulatory compliance, and market access.

Authenticity testing

Assess honey authenticity through:

• C4 sugar analysis (EA-IRMS/SCIRA)
• LC-IRMS
• NMR profiling
• Foreign enzyme detection
• Rice syrup and beet syrup markers
• Botanical and geographical origin verification

Sensory and physicochemical analysis

Assess the overall quality of honey through sensory and physicochemical analyses in accordance with applicable standards, including:

• Color, aroma, taste, and appearance
• Sugar profile (glucose, fructose, and sucrose)
• Moisture content
• Free acidity
• Electrical conductivity
• Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)
• Diastase activity
• Pollen analysis
• Other relevant quality indicators

Microbiological testing

Determine microbiological parameters in accordance with applicable regulations and market requirements to support quality control, ensure food safety, and verify product compliance.

Residue and Contaminant analysis

Determine the presence of residues and contaminants to assess product safety and support compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, including:

• Heavy metals
• Pesticide residues
• Antibiotics (e.g. chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and streptomycin)
• Veterinary drug residues
• Other contaminants of concern

Nutritional analysis

Determine the energy value and nutritional components, including carbohydrates, total sugars, protein, fat, sodium, and other relevant nutritional parameters to support product labeling and regulatory declarations.

Food Safety Solutions

• Support for shelf-life and stability studies, product declaration and regulatory compliance, export market requirements
• Nutrition labeling review,
• Customized technical and regulatory workshops, and implementation of GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, and customer-specific food safety requirements.

Environmental compliance testing and consulting services supporting food manufacturing operations

• Environmental monitoring programs,
• Industrial hygiene sampling, 
• Water quality assessment,
• Production environment monitoring, sanitation verification,
• Environmental compliance testing and consulting services supporting confectionery manufacturing operations.

*Some analyses are performed through the Eurofins global laboratory network. Please contact us for consultation or additional information.