All About Honey
What is Honey?
Honey is the golden goodness that beekeepers harvest from the hives of honeybees. It's pure and natural, delightful, and delicious. It's liquid sunshine. Bees collect the nectar produced by flowers and store it in their hives to consume during winter or periods of drought. These industrious insects process the nectar by adding enzymes that chemically alter the sugar molecules and removing most of the moisture from the solution. The resulting product, honey, is thick and sweet, and will keep virtually forever without spoiling.
Raw Honey vs. Organic Honey
Honey is a naturally pure and safe food. Because it has a high sugar content, mild acidity, and a low moisture level, microorganisms cannot grow in honey. It never needs pasteurization. Raw honey is essentially the same product that the bees have produced. It naturally contains enzymes, vitamins, and grains of pollen. Raw honey is strained to remove impurities, such as wax, but is never heated excessively. Some commercial processors may heat honey to lower its viscosity and filter out pollen and other particles that promote crystallization. Excessive heating can destroy some of the natural enzymes.
The USDA Organic seal on a product indicates that it was produced without conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Honey labeled as "Organic" indicates that the product meets standards implemented by the USDA through third-party certification agencies, whether produced in the US or in a foreign country. If you wish to use the USDA-Organic seal on your packaging, your production must be certified by an accredited agent. Because honeybees can forage so far from their hives, it is practically impossible to control whether they may come into contact with pesticides, fertilizers, or other substances prohibited under organic regulations. Most organic honey sold in the U.S. is therefore produced in other countries where pesticides are not as commonplace. An alternative certification, such as Certified Naturally Grown, indicates that the honey was produced using sustainable methods, and without employing chemical pesticides in or around the hives.
Use of the term "organic" on a product label requires legal certification. Other terms, such as raw, pure, or natural are not regulated by law.
Crystallized honey
All-natural honey will eventually crystallize. Honey with higher glucose content tends to crystallize more rapidly. Raw honey tends to crystallize more readily than processed honey because it contains more microscopic particles, such as pollen grains, which the crystals form around. Crystallized honey is not spoiled. Simply place the container in a pan of warm water (about 100°F) to liquify the honey again.
Can eating local honey provide relief from pollen allergies?
This is a very common question and is supported by thousands of people who believe it to be true, because it seems to work for them. But is there any clinical evidence? A simple answer is complicated by many variables. No two people are alike, and one person's seasonal allergies are not necessarily the same as another's. Honeybees do collect and transport pollen grains from many flowering plants when foraging for nectar, and raw honey does include some traces of these pollens. Whether the amount of pollen present in a particular honey is sufficient to stimulate a human's immune response will depend on the individual. Honey collected within 25 miles could be considered "local" and is apt to contain many pollen types that would be found near one's home. However, consumers must also consider the time of year that the honey was collected, and what plants were in bloom. Will spring honey help to immunize a person who suffers from fall ragweed? Not necessarily, but ragweed is a member of the plant family Asteraceae, which also includes sunflowers, dandelions, daisies, and thousands of other common flowers. Some of these species may be related closely enough to provide some cross-benefit to a honey consumer. These potential benefits may vary widely between individuals. Many anecdotal reports claim complete relief form allergies, however, for some hyper-sensitive individuals, consuming raw honey could potentially result in a severe allergic reaction.
Why should honey not be fed to infants?
Infant botulism is a unique form of food poisoning. Children under twelve months of age may not have a strong enough immune system or sufficient stomach acids to fend off this form of bacterial spore. Although honey prevents the growth of bacteria due to its low pH and moisture level, honey may contain the spores of a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. When a young child eats the tainted honey, the bacterial spores activate and produce botulism food poisoning. Botulinum spores can also be found in inadequately prepared home preserves or canned goods and may be common on unwashed fresh fruits and vegetables. Although the risk is very low, children should not be fed honey until they have reached one year of age to avoid potential food poisoning.
Honey Sales
Products can be sold from farmer's markets, from the site where the product is produced, county fairs, and other special events. Products are to be sold directly to the consumer and may not be sold wholesale without a valid permit from the Arkansas Department of Health.
Honey is considered a farm product and is exempt from sale tax when sold direct-from-farm (this may include an urban beekeeper's home). A farmers' market or roadside stand is also considered an extension of direct-from-farm sales.
Honey Nutrition Information
One tablespoon of honey contains 64 Calories. By contrast, a tablespoon of sugar contains 45 Calories. However, honey tastes sweeter than sugar, and people tend to use less.
The exact makeup of each individual honey varies somewhat, but honey is generally composed of:
· 80% sugar (fructose & glucose)
· 18% water
· 2% minerals, vitamins, pollen & protein
Labels on packaged food must list the contact information for the packer. This includes the name and address of the person or company that packaged the product. If you purchase honey from another beekeeper and bottle it yourself, your contact information must appear on the label. A telephone number, email address or website may also be included. This information must be in a type size that is at least 1/16" tall.
Beekeepers making honey in the Natural State may apply for the Arkansas Grown branding program, to promote their product as locally produced, and to take advantage of promotions and advertising from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
The University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. For more information you can contact your local county extension service, you can also follow Sherri Sanders on Facebook @UADA.WhiteCountyAgriculture .
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By Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2400 Old Searcy Landing Road Searcy AR 72143
(501) 268-5394
ssanders@uada.edu
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative
action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need
materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other
appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons
regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin,
religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any
other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.