The Dark Side of Honey: Understanding Honey Adulteration

When we think of honey, we often picture a pure, natural product straight from the hive. However, the reality is that honey adulteration is a significant issue in the commercial market. According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, honey is one of the top three most adulterated foods found on grocery store shelves. In fact, some estimates suggest that at least one-third of the honey sold in big-box stores has been adulterated in some way.

What is Honey Adulteration?

Honey adulteration most commonly occurs through dilution. In the commercial honey industry, where thousands of pounds of honey are processed, some suppliers, known as honey packers, intentionally dilute honey by mixing in cheaper sweeteners like corn syrup, rice syrup, sugar beet syrup, or cane sugar. This practice reduces production costs, but the final product is still marketed and sold to consumers as pure honey, often at a premium price.

Another form of adulteration involves manipulating the honey's pollen content. Pollen is a key geographical indicator of honey's origin. Some honey packers remove the natural pollen from a batch of honey and add a different type of pollen—such as pollen from the New Zealand tea tree—to pass off the honey as a more expensive variety, like Manuka honey. This deceptive practice allows them to command a higher price for what is, in reality, a cheaper honey.

Mislabeling: Another Common Issue

Mislabeling is another widespread problem in the honey industry. This can involve misleading information about the honey's geographic origin, varietal (the type of plant from which the honey is made), or even fraudulent claims of organic status. It’s important to note that there is no such thing as organic honey produced in the United States. If you see honey labeled as organic, it should also list the country of origin. Currently, the U.S. imports over half of the honey consumed domestically, with top importers including Vietnam, Argentina, India, Brazil, and several other countries.

How Commercial Honey is Processed

To better understand honey adulteration, it’s helpful to know how honey is handled on a commercial scale. After honey is harvested, the honeycomb frames are warmed, the wax cappings are removed, and the honey is extracted by spinning the frames in an extractor. The honey then undergoes a series of processes: it is heated, filtered, cooled, and finally bottled.

During this process, the honey is often flash-heated to a destructive temperature of 140-170°F within seconds to ensure it flows quickly through various filters. Unfortunately, this heating process destroys many of the honey's natural enzymes, proteins, aromatics, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, when hot honey is pumped under pressure through several filters, most of the pollen and other microscopic particles are removed, stripping the honey of much of its natural character.

Sourcing Pure, Quality Honey

As someone who enjoys trying different types of honey, I’ve found that the best way to ensure you’re getting pure, unadulterated honey is to buy directly from local beekeepers. Farmers markets are a great place to meet beekeepers in person and learn more about their practices. When buying honey, I like to ask a few key questions: How are your bees doing this year? What types of flowers do they typically forage on? Do you heat your honey during extraction? How do you filter your honey? These questions can provide valuable insights into the type and quality of honey you’re purchasing.

Supporting local beekeepers not only helps you obtain high-quality honey but also supports hardworking individuals who care deeply about their bees and their craft. The next time you buy honey, consider seeking out a local source—you might just taste the difference.