A Guide To Buying Real Honey

/in /by

Using honey as a sweetener has all kinds of health benefits. Honey is a naturally produced, unrefined sugar that’s rich in antioxidants. It also has anti-bacterialand anti-inflammatory properties that can help heal wounds or burns, in addition to being a natural moisturizer.

However, products advertised as honey may contain large amounts of added sugars and a small amount of real honey. Ingredients like rice syrup, beet syrup, corn syrup or wheat syrup can be added to decrease costs while maintaining the honey’s sticky texture. Other products advertised as raw honey may have been heat treated to prevent it from crystalizing. It may also have been filtered, removing the beneficial qualities of authentic raw honey.

The FDA requires that honey labels list any additives in their products, but clever marketing can lead you to believe you’re buying a pure product. In some cases, imported honey bottlers are unaware their product contains added syrups or isn’t an authentic product.

If the honey you purchase isn’t pure honey or authentic raw honey, you will be missing out on the health benefits real honey offers. You could be paying extra for an inauthentic product with few benefits beyond use as a sweetener.

True Source Honey® is a company that gives honey producers a certification verifying their product is transparently sourced and pure honey. If a product receives the True Source Certified® sticker, you can be assured that it’s pure, authentic honey. They offer a voluntary certification system. Honey producers aren’t required to receive certification. For this reason, many local honey producers don’t seek out certification.

In order to avoid deceptive marketing and inauthentic products, you can take several steps to check if the honey you’re purchasing is pure.

  1. Check the ingredients label on your honey for added sugars. If the product is pure, it should only list honey as its ingredient.
  2. Purchase honey produced from your local area.
  3. If purchasing from a large commercial brand, check the jar or bottle for the True Source Certified® sticker.

If you’re still unsure about the authenticity of your honey, researching the brand can be a quick way to determine its quality. Using these tips, you can make sure you’re paying for the product you want and nothing you don’t.