Honey | Unbox Health

Honey

Overview Label Accuracy Score Non-Toxicity Score Nutritional Profile Score

Overview

For every Honey product, the following parameters are tested across multiple labs:

Total Carbohydrates (g per 100g)

Fructose content (g per 100g)

Glucose content (g per 100g)

Maltose content (g per 100g)

Sucrose content (g per 100g)

Hydroxymethylfurfural - HMF (ppm)

Formic Acid content (g per 100g)

Heavy Metals - Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury (ppm - parts per million)

Since every parameter gets tested at multiple labs, Unbox Health arrives at a consensus value for each parameter based on our internal consensus rules.

Finally, the consensus values are used to derive a product’s Label Accuracy Score and Non-Toxicity Score. From these, the product’s Aggregate score and Rating are calculated.

Note: We do not use NMR testing for rating Honey products, as this is not mandated by FSSAI. Although NMR is internationally considered a reliable method of testing Honey products for adulteration, it is not recommended (or mandated) by FSSAI due to the following reasons:

NMR Testing is not possible in India - samples have to be shipped abroad.
NMR Testing may not be a reliable for India honeys as it depends on the existence of a database of representative Honey products. As per FSSAI, there is no such database of Indian honeys for these international labs to reliably test these products, which may lead to false negatives when NMR Testing is deployed. See FSSAI Press Release here.

Label Accuracy Score

Label Accuracy Score is defined here.

For Honey products, Total Carbs Accuracy, Fructose Accuracy, Glucose Accuracy, Sucrose Accuracy, Fructose-Glucose Ratio Accuracy, HMF Limit Accuracy values are calculated based on the Carbohydrates, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, Sucrose & HMF content respectively. Once these value are computed, the Label Accuracy Score is calculated using this formula:

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Label Accuracy Score = Total Carbs Accuracyx0.1 + (Fructose Accuracy x Glucose Accuracy x Sucrose Accuracy x Fructose-Glucose Ratio Accuracy) x0.8 + HMF Limit Accuracyx0.1

The Total Carbs Accuracy value is calculated by comparing the lab test result vs the label claim using the scale shown below. The scale is defined as per FSSAI guidelines, while allowing for a standardised margin of uncertainty in lab testing.

The Fructose Accuracy, Glucose Accuracy, Sucrose Accuracy, Fructose-Glucose Ratio Accuracy values are calculated based on the following table:

Accuracy Values	FSSAI Limits	Notes about our Calculation
Fructose	Range: 21-42%	Range used: 19-44% (1.0 if within range, 0.0 if not)
Glucose	Range: 20-40%	Range used: 18-42% (1.0 if within range, 0.0 if not)
Sucrose	Range: 0-5%	Range used: 0-7% (1.0 if within range, 0.0 if not)
Fructose-Glucose Ratio	Range: 0.95-1.50	Range used: 0.90-1.55 (1.0 if within range, 0.0 if not)
HMF Limit	Range: 0-80mg/kg	Range used: 0-88mg/kg (1.0 if within range, 0.0 if not)

Non-Toxicity Score

Non-Toxicity Score is defined here.

For Honey products, a Non-Toxicity value is calculated for these parameters: Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury & Formic Acid. Once these Non-Toxicity values are computed, the Non-Toxicity Score is calculated using this formula:

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Non-Toxicity Score = Lead Non-Toxicity x Arsenic Non-Toxicity x Cadmium Non-Toxicity x Mercury Non-Toxicity x Formic Acid Non-Toxicity

The Non-Toxicity value for a parameter is calculated by comparing the lab test result vs the FSSAI limits for that parameter using the scale shown below. The scale is defined as per FSSAI guidelines.

Non-Toxicity Values	Range	Notes
Lead Non-Toxicity	0.00 - 1.00	Calculated based on FSSAI guidelines for Lead levels
Arsenic Non-Toxicity	0.00 - 1.00	Calculated based on FSSAI guidelines for Arsenic levels
Cadmium Non-Toxicity	0.00 - 1.00	Calculated based on FSSAI guidelines for Cadmium levels
Mercury Non-Toxicity	0.00 - 1.00	Calculated based on FSSAI guidelines for Mercury levels
Formic Acid Non-Toxicity	0.00 or 1.00	Calculated based on FSSAI guidelines for Formic Acid levels

Nutritional Profile Score

Not Applicable for this category. Only used for food categories.