The National Beekeepers Association has rubbished claims that honey should be cut from obese people's diets to help weight loss.
Otago University researchers today released a list of 49 "needn't'' foods as a guide for overweight people to cut from their intake to aid the shedding of kilos.
The items made the blacklist because they are high in fat or added sugars, prepared using a high fat cooking method, have a high amount of energy compared to their essential nurtient content, or have a healthier alternative.
Lead researcher Dr Jane Elmslie said although honey was "great stuff'', it was a form of sugar.
National Beekeepers Association chief executive Daniel Paul said honey had been used for thousands of years by almost every society on earth as a food and energy source.
