You might expect to see security cases on whisky bottles, shavers and maybe the Blu-Ray discs when you go shopping in your local supermarket.

But some stores in Britain are said to have now taken to putting the cases on high-end manuka honey jars to deter shoplifters.

A case was spotted on a £20 (NZD $38) jar of the honey at a Sainsbury's store in Putney, South West London, which contains just 225g of the produce from New Zealand.

High-end Rowse manuka honey is said to be the thieves' prime target, although Sainsbury's does its own version of the prized item for £16.50 (NZD $31.70) for 340g.

But both of them are now encased in boxes in some stores to make them harder to steal, with customer Anton Rossi posting a photograph of them on Facebook.

In a post that has been liked nearly 150 times, Mr Rossi wrote: "In London, one needs to keep honey under lock and key... because..."

Jack Higgins replied: "You do if its £19.90 and the smaller than a closed fist, haha. Easy pickings that if it wasn't for that blasted box."

Anastasia Crowley added: "A lady came in my shop earlier and my security beepers went off so we had a look to see what it was.

"It was a pack of 8 Richmond sausages that still had a security sticker on from Co-op. It's a sad state of affairs that they tag the cheap sausages."

All of the other brands of honey and condiments, surrounding the two on the shelf at the store in Putney, are far cheaper and without security tags.

According to Rowse's website, manuka has to be produced by honeybees feasting on the nectar of New Zealand manuka bushes.

The honey is supposed to have many health benefits, including treating acne and eczema, wounds and sore throats, combating MRSA, and improving immunity.

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "Decisions on which products have security tags are made by individual stores."