Fake and impure honey has become common in today's market, despite the preference of many for the 100% natural product produced by bees. Unfortunately, unless you live in the European Union or Florida, USA, you may not be able to trust labels that say "pure honey". Due to the wide variety of honey and the high number of sugar syrups or other ingredients that unscrupulous manufacturers dilute in it, no home test is completely successful. Use several of these tests, if possible, to get a good idea of the purity of your honey.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Examining Honey Before Buying
Step 1. Know the honey purity laws in your region
Some countries or regional governments issue regulations that require the mention of added substances. Others have no honey purity laws, or may release voluntary guidelines without the ability to enforce them. Try to find the laws in your area so you know how much faith you can put on your local supermarket labels.
- Any product sold in the European Union as honey must be free of additives by law, including antibiotics used to treat bees. Any honey with defects that seriously affect the taste should be sold as "confectioner's honey" for use in processed foods.
- In Brazil, ANVISA declares that "Honey may not contain substances foreign to its normal composition, nor be added with acidity correctives" and that "The addition of natural colorings, flavorings, thickeners, preservatives and sweeteners of any kind is prohibited. and synthetics."
- In the US, the government does not test the purity of honey and allows for trace amounts of antibiotics. The USDA logo does not mean the honey is pure. Florida is the only state in the US that requires honey to show all additives as long as it is produced and sold within Florida. However, care must be taken with substances sold under a different name, such as "honey mixtures" or "honey derivatives", which do not fall under this law.
Step 2. Check the label, but don't just rely on it
Look around the logo or brand name to read the ingredient list and look for "additives". Pure honey should only have one ingredient: honey. However, even if there are no others listed, the manufacturer may not be telling the truth.
Step 3. Taste the honey, if samples are offered
This isn't an exact way to look for additives, but if taste is your main concern, it might be all you need to make a decision. Note that an "odd" taste doesn't necessarily mean the honey isn't pure. There are many varieties of honey, made from nectar from different flowers, saps or even the secretions of sap-feeding insects. All of these products have different tastes, and even the honey in a hive can vary over the years as it collects nectar from different sources.
Most sellers will not allow you to open a bottle before purchasing. Ask if you can sample a sample, but don't insist if one isn't available
Method 2 of 3: Testing at Home
Step 1. Understand that these tests are not 100% accurate
The delicious varieties of honey work against you when trying to find a simple test. Different types of pure honey can cover a wide range of densities, flammability and other characteristics. Although the following tests are based on true principles, in practice the results can be inconclusive. Try several to see if the honey passes consistently or not. In many cases, the most you'll get is a good guess.
Step 2. Add a spoonful of liquid honey to warm water
Put a spoonful of liquid honey in a glass of water, stirring slowly or leaving it standing. If it has been mixed with certain types of sugar syrup, it will dissolve in water. Most pure honeys, and unfortunately some adulterated ones too, will stick together and sink as something solid or stick to the spoon as one.
Note that pure or adulterated honey is also sold in a creamy (or even crystallized) form, or in solid comb form. These types will always be difficult to dissolve, no matter if the honey is pure or not
Step 3. Light a cotton or candle wick dipped in honey
This test only checks for water in the honey, which can prevent it from burning. Dip the cotton or wick in a little honey and shake off the excess. Try lighting the cotton or wick. If it burns easily, the honey probably doesn't have water, but it may or may not have other substances. If it doesn't burn or crack, it might have water.
Step 4. Put honey on a blotting paper or paper towel
If it has been diluted with water, it may be absorbed or leave a wet mark on the absorbent material. Pure honey should not be absorbed, but this is also true for honey that is diluted with most sugar syrups.
Method 3 of 3: Dispelling Myths About Honey Purity
Step 1. Don't let the ants decide for you
They are interested in anything sweet and nutritious, and they eat honey, colored corn syrup and whatever comes in between.
Step 2. Realize that mixing alcohol and honey is not a useful test
Some sources claim that mixing impure honey in denatured or other alcohol will dissolve the solution and make it milky, while pure honey will remain undissolved at the bottom. Others claim just the opposite! This myth dates back to at least 1893, and was not accepted by professional beekeepers even then.
Step 3. Be skeptical of claims that pure honey turns in one direction or creates shapes
There are many myths on the internet about pure honey turning clockwise when poured, or forming hexagons when left on a plate and covered with water. There is no scientific evidence that impure honey behaves differently in these situations.
Step 4. Test the additional affirmations yourself
There are many anecdotes about ways to check the purity of honey, and many have not been scientifically tested. If you think something seems plausible, test it with a pot of honey that you think is pure. Then mix it with agave syrup, sugar or other additive and do the same test. If you have different and consistent results comparing pure and diluted honey, the test can be helpful. Remember, however, that no home test can detect all possible additives in honey.
Tips
- Honey purchased from organic markets or from a local beekeeper is more likely to be pure.
- Honeycombs are more likely to be pure since they are taken straight from the hive. However, some beekeepers feed their bees with artificial syrup or sugar, which can cause them to produce adulterated honey.
- Crystallized or granulated honey may be more likely to be pure, as some common additives do not crystallize well. This, however, is not a reliable test. Learning how to dissolve honey is essential if you choose to buy candied honey.
- Scientists analyzing honey use a mass spectrometer to separate the molecules, detecting different types (isotopes) of carbon molecules associated with sugars in a process called stable isotope analysis. Even so, some syrups can go unnoticed.
Notices
- Never give honey to a baby - there may be botulism spores in it (usually harmless to adults) that can seriously harm the baby, resulting in death.
- Be careful when dealing with fire and hot wax.