Thursday, January 01, 2009

Fake Malaysian Medicinal Honey Exposed

Orang Asli Used To Sell Fake Honey
By Sakina Mohamed

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- Several Orang Asli have been unwittingly exploited by certain parties to sell a syrupy solution which is being passed off as honey at Orang Asli stalls at the Sungai Perak rest area.

Those visiting the stalls, located along the North-South Expressway, could be easily lured into buying the amber-coloured, bottled solution, thinking that it is genuine wild honey harvested by the Orang Asli.

A Universiti Malaya biochemist chanced upon the scam after testing samples of the honey from the stalls.

Prof Kamaruddin Mohd Yusoff, who is from the Faculty of Medicine and specialises in the use of honey, said he bought the syrup intending to analyse the properties of wild honey harvested by the Orang Asli…

"People buy this honey thinking it is more potent than those in the market when it's not, and they may need it for medical use.

"There may also be foreign tourists who have bought this "honey", thinking it is pure Malaysian wild honey, and it would be very bad for Malaysia's image if by any chance they discover that they have been duped," he said…

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