Did you know that a lot of the honey you buy at the store is fake?
With so much adulterated honey floating around the world, it’s tough to obtain genuine raw honey on the market. Despite a worldwide decline in honey bee numbers, honey prices have remained reasonably stable over the past quarter-century.
The sheer volume of fake honey produced is significantly higher than the production of real honey due to the increasing demand. Because of this, the market price is significantly lower than what is sustainable. The beekeeping industry is being challenged by a product that wasn’t even made with bee parts.
Laws Regulating Adulterated Honey
“At least, most countries have rules that make it hard for fake honey to pass as real, right?” Contrary to popular belief, there is none.
The C4 carbohydrate test is the primary screening procedure used in most countries to declare your honey to be of the highest possible purity. C3 carbohydrates, like those found in pure raw honey, are formed when three carbon molecules join together. Honey is put through a C4 carbohydrate test to see if it contains any of the complex sugars like corn syrup, beat sugar, fructose, or glucose. There is currently no way to distinguish between honey and maple syrup using this method of analysis.
Unfortunately, many people have mastered the ability to make a sugary material with only three carbon molecules, which means they may easily adulterate honey. To combat the flood of adulterated items flooding the market, many beekeepers are now diluting their honey with lower-quality adulterated products.
Is there a way to verify the authenticity of your honey?
Water Test
Put some honey in some water that’s been left out at room temperature. A sure sign that honey is fake is if it dissolves in water. Since real honey is denser than water, it will form a pool at the bottom of the container.
Heat Test
Dip a paper towel in honey and then try to ignite it on fire. It’s a fake if the paper towel doesn’t start bubbling and caramelizing. Because fake honey has a higher water content, it will be harder to catch fire.
Blotting Test
Pour a thumb of honey onto a paper towel and fold it in half. If the honey quickly absorbs into the paper towel, it is most likely fake. Honey that has been artificially adulterated will quickly saturate the paper towel, leaving a wet stain.
Thumb Test
Hold your thumb out, finger nail facing the ceiling. If a drop of honey you place on your fingernail immediately falls off, you may be sure it’s not the real deal. Thick honey will not run off your thumb, but instead will drip off extremely slowly.
Adulterated honey does not retain honey’s health benefits, which are numerous. Remember that after a few of weeks at room temperature, pure honey will crystallize. You should only buy honey from reliable sources to avoid being a victim of adulteration.
