A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW ON APICULTURE AND HONEY RESEARCH, HONEY FRAUD, HONEY PHARMACOPEIA AND FDA-APPROVED HONEY PRODUCTS, CLINICAL EFFICACY OF HONEY PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS, HONEY CONTAMINATION WITH CONSUMER HEALTH RISKS WITH ONE HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

Background: Honey is a divine gift from Allah, described in the Quran as a source of healing for mankind, and Allah urges people to think (do research) about honey. Scientists have found that honey is an insect-derived natural sweetener rich in antioxidants, antimicrobials, and essential nutrients that support immune function, offer therapeutic benefits and promote healing, and have cosmetic and industrial value. But adulteration and fake honey production by dishonest people (a clear sin/haram) have severely damaged the global honey industry by undercutting honest beekeepers, misleading consumers, threatening pollinator populations, and depriving people of Allah's divine gift. Objectives: This review describes apiculture and honey research from ancient to modern times; honey fraud, pharmacopeia and FDA-approved honey products, clinical efficacy of honey pharmaceuticals, and honey contamination with consumer health risks with a ‘One Health’ perspective Materials and Methods: A narrative review of Google Scholar, PubMed, and other databases identified 580 relevant research reports on different aspects of honey to meet the objectives of this review. In addition, seven sources of honey, four from different Facebook vendors and three from supermarkets, were examined to detect adulteration and contamination in Bangladesh. Results: Honey is Allah’s gift to mankind, but this review shows that finding authentic honey in supermarkets globally is increasingly difficult because of complex global supply-chain blending and widespread economic adulteration with cheap sugar syrups. Reports show that 46% of imported honey and 96% of supermarket honeys in the UK, up to 70% in the US, 75 to 86.5% in the Philippines, up to 75% of Chinese honey, 93% in Turkey, and 77% of Indian honeys are adulterated. Global honey exports have increased by 67%, while honey production has increased by only 15%, indicating that the world is selling more honey than bees can produce. Reviews also show that all nine popular imported honey brands and seven locally produced honeys available in the Bangladeshi market are adulterated. Fake and adulterated honey poses significant metabolic syndrome, organ damage, systemic health risks, potential carcinogenic effects, and allergic reactions, often worsening conditions like Type II diabetes and obesity. Medical-grade honey (MGH) has shown strong antibacterial activity against both MDR (multidrug-resistant) and non-MDR bacteria, is effective against biofilm formation, and is also effective in diabetic patients with infected foot ulcers. This review compares the clinical efficacy of pharmaceutical honey products, including their indications, uses, and efficacy. This review examines research on apiculture and honey research, including honeybee diseases and human health risks. Reported risks include infant botulism (Cl. botulinum spores), gastroenteritis (Bacillus cereus, Cl. perfringens, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus), yeast and mold infections, and antibiotic-resistant bacterial problems. The interaction between honey contaminants, wound healing, and the ‘One Health’ framework centers on managing chronic or infected wounds by recognizing the deep links between human medicine, veterinary care, and environmental factors. This collaborative approach is vital to stop the spread of dangerous pathogens and combat drug resistance. Conclusion: This review suggests that there is no guarantee of getting authentic honey from local or imported sources on the global market, including Bangladesh. The only way to guarantee authentic honey from a local producer is to see it coming out of the hive (but not bee sugar syrup feeding honey), or to produce our own honey ourselves. These indicate that Allah’s gift of pure honey has healing properties, and original Islam is viewed as the complete and final guidance sent by Allah for humanity, but both have lost their originality or been modified to an unacceptable status. However, MGH's especially authentic manuka honey-based formulations are FDA-approved, and their clinical efficacy supports the Quranic verses in which Allah says honey has healing properties. Modern laboratory tests needed to detect sophisticated honey adulterants are not currently available for routine testing. A ‘One Health’ approach to honey fraud control integrates human health, animal (bee) health, and environmental stewardship with systemic governance to protect product integrity.