What is the difference between Raw Honey and Fake Honey
I think it would be fair to say that Honey is a staple here in Australia. We have honey on our toast. Honey on our oats. And it is a perfect additive to sweeten just about anything. Australia is one of the largest exporters of honey and exports it all over the world. So it was a bit of a shock to hear that almost half of the honey that is available for purchase is fake honey, not ‘Pure honey.’
I have been taking our GF Oats honey we sell online to the local farmer’s markets here in Toowoomba and someone asked me “how do you get gluten-free honey?” I must admit I think I gave a very strange look and just answered well isn’t honey naturally gluten-free? Our honey, of course, is Pure Raw Honey. Turns out this question is NOT so strange, as I then stumbled across an article sharing that some honey in stores does have gluten in it. Yikes! Studies have taken place in a laboratory in Germany which have shown that almost half of all honey that is being exported is not pure honey. The honey has been mixed with other syrups such as rice syrup, wheat-based syrup, cane sugar and corn syrup.
What does this mean?
It means that it is possible that the honey that you are purchasing is not pure honey like you suspected. It’s fake honey. You may be paying a premium price tag for a product that has been mixed with other sweet syrups in order to bulk out the product.
The products tested showed little to no pollen in them, which means that the honey has been over filtered. This is an expensive and time-wasting procedure. Or that they are mixed with other syrups.
Why is this happening?
There has always been an issue with fake honey being on the market, however, it is increasing in recent years. The cost of manufacturing is a lot less when mixing honey with other products. It means that the product will go further for a smaller cost – and they are still able to achieve their profits. The prices have not decreased for the consumer meaning that the businesses are pocketing a larger profit on their products.
How do I make sure that I am buying pure honey?
The best way to ensure that you are buying real honey is by purchasing honey which is raw and unfiltered. You can buy raw honey from a lot of smaller stores and online on course in our SHOP. Raw honey means that it has not been processed and is unfiltered. Many of the brands that were labelled organic that were tested showed high levels of pollen. This means that they are either real honey or only cut with a small number of other products.
Testing your honey at home
There is also a test you can do with your honey at home to check if it is real honey or not. Start with a spoon full of honey in a bowl, pour some water on top and then proceed to swish the bowl around. If the honey dilutes in the water and does not leave any markings that it is not real honey. If when swished around the honey spreads out and you can see an imprint of honeycomb on the base of the bowl, it is real honey. Honey keeps the genetic make-up of the honeycomb.
Choose wisely when purchasing your honey. Stick to raw and unfiltered brands of honey for the best chance of receiving real honey. But of course, I’m going to tell you to purchase our GF Oats Honey from our Online Store, it is sourced locally on the Darling Downs, read more here. I promise you will love it!