Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey

foodsafetynews ^ | NOV 07, 2011 | ANDREW SCHNEIDER

[opbuzz]

More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn't exactly what the bees produce, according to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News.

The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled "honey." The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies.

[BlueLancer]

I'm surprised that no one has used that oldie-but-goody ...

Bee healthy ...
Eat your honey ..."

[dynoman]

I'd suppose you don't eat oysters either.

[dynoman]

I wonder what percentage of people has eaten comb honey? And chewed the wax afterwards like gum?

I have, I worked for a beekeeper. All I took for lunch was bread, the honey was free.

Honeycombs are the best.

[Wuli]

An interesting fact about who is on the list: 13 of the brands of honey are “store” brands (made by others and sold under the in-house brand name of a store-chain - like “Americas Choice” is the store-brand for the A&P Company). That’s almost half of the list.

It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the store-brands listed were actually produced by the same owner of some private label brand on the list, and then packaged under some store-brand label. To the extent that that is the case, the testing results in such an instance should have been combined as the results for what is actually one product.

Also, I did not see quite a few of the Honey brands I have bought; brands that were not store-brands.

I think the science on this should not extrapolate the results to the entire honey industry, unless the sample pool was larger.

A larger sample pool may, at a minimum, reduce the average result for non-pollen-content.

So, I may be missing some nutrient in my honey; my cup of tea doesn’t notice; it’s just as sweet.

[Red_Devil 232]

Ping to the weekly gardening list. Thanks for the HT Afraidfortherepublic

Weekly Gardening Thread

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Only once that I can recall. And they were cooked.

[RoadGumby]

Really? Do you like Jello?

[dynoman]

The reason most people give for not eating oysters is that they have no bunghole, which is kind of in the same catagory as your "bee puke" reason for not eating honey.

I won't eat them raw, but love oyster soup made with milk, butter, oysters, cream of mushroom soup, and cream of potato soup.

[RoadGumby]

Also, honey will, over time and if it gets cold, crystalize. Just immerse the jar in warmed water, it will reliquify, and all is good.

[Crcl1]

I think that’s Eric Idle behind Gilda and Jane

[NoNAIS]

You have to feed bees sugar if you are going to rob their honey.

---

Actually - we don’t. We have fed sugar/pollen patties/honey back if the spring begins in a non-productive pattern. Of course we feed grass bales if the livestock needs it as well.

Management of producing livestock/critters only needs to be as complicated as you make it. Then again we aren’t looking to be “profitable” - just self-sustaining.

[Hodar]

So, are you using Honey Flavored Syrup (such as at KFC, Popeyes and other chains) - which is little more than colored corn syrup - or is it really Honey?

One of the benefits of local Honey is the pollens, it will contain local pollens in the honey - which can actually help you with allergies (allegedly).

Given the relative cost of Honey and Corn Syrup - when I pay for Honey, I want to know that I’m really getting Honey. Otherwise, I’ll just save a few bucks and drizzle on some corn syrup on my muffins/toast.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Do you like Jello?

Sure. But won't eat it after I found out what it's made of.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I think that’s Eric Idle behind Gilda and Jane

Yup. And Aykroyd. And I think...Richard Belzer on the far right?

[bert]

No, bees are fed sugar water to build the colony in slack spring times when their honey is used up or to start a new colony with no stores.

A prudent bee keeper always leaves enough honey to get them trough the winter, taking only that above the estimated winter usage.

Also, a bee swarm sprayed with sugar water becomes distracted and gentler to handle.

[TennesseeGirl]

Wow! Thanks for list...who knew???

[Publius6961]

What sort of moron would think this is useful news?
Honey has killed babies, and pollen is probably the main intense allergen responsible.

Idiots!

Flash!
In other news, Pufferfish are deprived of their poison before being seved as a Japanese delicacy. No longer pure and "natural!"

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I love clams though. I love fried clams with the "bellies".
Go figure.
But oysters. Nope. Do nothing for me. Actually, I do recall getting sick on some smoked oysters a long time ago.

[americas.best.days...]

ha! this is a timely thread for me to come across! just came in from the beach at indian pass,fl. i am surrounded by tupelo honey and apalachicola oysters! i’m taking plenty of the honey home for gifts. its so tasty! as are the oysters,eatin’ them raw while i’m here.

[Beeman]

As a beekeeper, I can tell you this is not true. Before I can get my honey listed as organic, I must have an inspector make sure there are no chemicals used for a 2 mile radius around my hives. This is not regulated, though, in other countries. The USDA allows other countries to tell us if there honey is organic.