The Honey Trap: Sweet Lies on Bulgaria’s Market

Bulgaria

Description

“The Honey Trap: Sweet Lies on Bulgaria’s Market” is an investigative project by Agri.BG (Agrigate Media Ltd), exploring the scale of honey adulteration and food fraud in Bulgaria – a serious threat to public health, fair competition, and consumer trust.
In collaboration with Prof. Dimitar Grekov and the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, the team will collect and scientifically test honey samples from supermarkets, local stores, and farms to reveal how much of Bulgaria’s honey is fake or mislabelled.
By combining investigative journalism with independent scientific analysis, the project aims to deliver transparent, data-driven evidence that protects consumers, supports honest beekeepers, and strengthens efforts against food fraud in Bulgaria and across the EU.

“Every jar of honey should tell a story of nature, not deception. In Bulgaria, honey is more than a product – it’s a symbol of purity and tradition. When fake honey floods the market, it deceives consumers and destroys the trust that honest beekeepers have built for generations. With this investigation, we want to bring transparency and science into a space clouded by sweet lies”. — Hristina Vasileva, Agri.BG

 

Journalistic outputs

Beekeeping interventions under question: what to drop and what to change
In AgriGate Media
05/01/2026
Almost half of the honey in the EU is suspected of being adulterated 
In AgriGate Media
14/01/2026
Fake honey and the grey market or how food fraud hits real producers
In AgriGate Media
15/01/2026
Honey for under 2 euros: The market that is killing European beekeepers
In
AgriGate Media
 17/01/2026
Investigation: Did we find fake honey in five major retail chains?
In
Agrigate Media
20/04/2026
Expert: Cheap honey does not automatically mean fake honey
In AgriGate Media
21/04/2026
Is the honey we buy of good quality? What do the quality indicators of Bulgarian honey
In AgriGate Media
22/04/2026
Cheap imports and unclear origins are putting pressure on the honey market in Bulgaria
In AgriGate Media
23/04/2026
Why are Bulgarian beekeepers losing market positions?
In AgriGate Media
24/04/2026
Honey imports from Mercosur – where do the dangers lie?
In AgriGate Media
25/04/2026
Behind the label “honey” – what do laboratory analyses show? (podcast)
In AgriGate Media
26/04/2026
BFSA confirmed deviations in honey after a signal from Agri.bg
In AgriGate Media
26/04/2026
Honey under the label: What do we buy from big chains?
In AgriGate Media
26/04/2026
Honey frauds are outpacing detection capabilities
In AgriGate Media
27/04/2026
Experts Speak: Is Old or Heated Honey Dangerous?
In AgriGate Media
27/04/2026
Replacing Honey: How Are Syrups Changing the Market?
In AgriGate Media
28/04/2026
The market is being distorted by honey imports without sufficient control
In AgriGate Media
29/04/2026
DNA analyses have the potential to detect fake honey
In AgriGate Media
30/04/2026
Diluting honey with syrups is often done in Europe
In AgriGate Media
09/05/2026
Agri.bg survey: Consumers have the greatest trust in Bulgarian honey from proven beekeepers
In AgriGate Media
31/05/2026
Prof. Plamen Petrov: Beekeeping needs urgent support; The sector needs stronger control, modern laboratory facilities and real state support to protect both producers and consumers
In
AgriGate Media
25/06/2026

 

Project Team

Media outlet

AgriGate Media

Sofia, Bulgaria
www.agri.bg

Hristina Vasileva

Deputy editor-in-chief
Bulgaria

AgriGate Media

Hristina Vasileva

Research organisation

The Agricultural University – Plovdiv

Plovdiv, Bulgaria
https://www.au-plovdiv.bg/en/

The Agricultural University – Plovdiv