IAEA Helps Chile Fight Honey Fraud Through Nuclear Science

The initiative aims to safeguard both consumers and small-scale honey producers while improving food safety standards and supporting international trade.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is helping Chile strengthen its scientific capacity to authenticate honey, combat food fraud and protect the country's vital beekeeping industry through advanced nuclear and isotopic techniques. The initiative aims to safeguard both consumers and small-scale honey producers while improving food safety standards and supporting international trade.

The programme forms part of the IAEA's broader effort to assist countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba and Thailand in developing the scientific expertise needed to detect adulterated or unsafe honey products. Thailand, for example, has developed systems capable of authenticating nearly 3,000 tonnes of honey and honey products exported annually, while Algeria now possesses the ability to identify chemical hazards in honey and other food items.

Chile Expands Scientific Capacity to Protect Honey Industry

Chile's honey industry is deeply connected to the country's unique biodiversity and geography, stretching from Patagonia to Easter Island. Different ecosystems provide distinct nectar sources that produce specialty honeys highly valued in international markets. However, the industry faces increasing threats from counterfeit and adulterated honey products entering global supply chains.

Food fraud involving diluted or fake honey has become a serious challenge worldwide, undermining consumer trust and reducing the market value of authentic products. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 96 percent of Chile's beekeeping sector consists of small-scale producers operating fewer than 300 hives. For these producers, maintaining the authenticity and reputation of their honey is critical for economic survival.

To address this issue, the IAEA and FAO are supporting Chilean scientists in establishing a national honey database based on stable isotopic profiles. The database will classify and catalogue honey samples collected across the country, allowing experts to verify the geographical and botanical origins of honey products and identify counterfeit or adulterated samples.

Researchers say this scientific verification system will help Chilean honey producers maintain access to premium international markets where authentic specialty honeys command higher prices.

Nuclear Techniques Used to Detect Honey Adulteration

As part of the project, Chilean scientists have been trained to use advanced analytical technologies capable of detecting food fraud and verifying authenticity with high precision. Following IAEA-supported capacity-building programmes in 2024, researchers created isotopic "fingerprints" for Chilean honey, which can reveal its true origin and expose the presence of added sugars or syrups used in counterfeit products.

The initiative aligns with international standards established by AOAC International and Codex Alimentarius reference methods for food authentication and safety testing.

Enrique Mejías, a researcher at the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN), highlighted the economic harm caused by counterfeit honey products.

"Food fraud causes producers profound harm by devaluing their products through unfair competition from low-cost counterfeit honeys," Mejías explained. "Our aim at CCHEN is to strengthen the sector by providing scientific tools to certify the authenticity of their honeys, ensuring that the product's value accurately reflects its quality and origin."

IAEA Provides Advanced Scientific Equipment

To support the analyses, the IAEA's technical cooperation programme supplied Chilean institutions, including CCHEN and the University of Chile, with advanced scientific equipment. This includes Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers capable of detecting added sugars, syrups and other adulterants in honey.

The programme also provided energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometers, which help measure trace element contamination and identify the likely geographical origin of honey samples.

These technologies allow scientists to perform highly accurate analyses that strengthen both food safety and trade verification systems.

Chilean Scientists Receive Specialized International Training

The initiative has also focused heavily on developing local scientific expertise and building a skilled workforce capable of sustaining the programme long-term.

Chilean researcher Enrique Mejías participated in a fellowship at the FAO/IAEA Food Safety and Control Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria, where he received specialized training in isotope ratio mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and FTIR infrared analysis.

The knowledge gained through the fellowship is now being applied in Chile as scientists continue collecting additional honey data for the authentication system.

Dongxin Feng, Director of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, stressed the importance of long-term scientific capacity building.

"Building sustainable scientific capacity is at the core of enabling countries to address complex challenges such as food fraud," Feng stated. "By equipping experts with advanced tools and aligning methodologies with international standards, we are fostering long-term resilience and credibility in food systems."

Monitoring Bee Health and Preventing Disease Outbreaks

Beyond honey authentication, the IAEA has launched a new technical cooperation project aimed at improving bee health monitoring and disease diagnosis in Chile.

Bees play a critical role in pollination and global food production, but bee populations worldwide have been declining due to disease, environmental pressures and climate change. Protecting bee health is therefore essential not only for honey production but also for broader agricultural sustainability.

Although Chile has largely avoided major exotic bee diseases, authorities remain concerned about outbreaks of "American foulbrood," a highly contagious bacterial disease affecting bee colonies. The disease can spread rapidly, damage bee populations and contaminate honey, making it unsafe for consumption.

Infected hives often need to be destroyed and quarantined to prevent wider outbreaks. Strengthening diagnostic capabilities and disease surveillance systems is therefore considered essential for protecting Chile's beekeeping sector.

Franco Alejandro Gamboa González, National Bee Health Officer at Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service, emphasized the importance of maintaining strong monitoring systems.

"Bee health in Chile is a cornerstone of the sector's sustainability and competitiveness," he said. "Strengthening health surveillance, developing diagnostic capabilities and coordinating with international organizations are key to addressing these challenges and positioning Chile as a global leader in bee health."

Protecting Small Producers and Global Food Systems

The initiative highlights how nuclear science and advanced analytical technologies are increasingly being used to strengthen food security, improve trade integrity and protect vulnerable agricultural sectors.

For Chile's thousands of small-scale beekeepers, the ability to scientifically verify the authenticity of their honey products could help preserve livelihoods, strengthen international competitiveness and maintain consumer trust.

The project also reflects growing global concern over food fraud, which affects not only economic stability but also food safety and public health.

By combining scientific innovation, international cooperation and workforce development, the IAEA and FAO aim to help countries build resilient food systems capable of protecting both producers and consumers in an increasingly complex global market.