How to Detect Whether the Honey is Pure or Fake?

It is a fact that it is very difficult to find totally pure and organic honey in the market, even though advertising claims that. Usually, adverts that say that honey is 100% organic are false. Most of the honey products go through many alterations before being sold in the store.

Food Safety News made a study that revealed that over 75% of honey products have gone through an ultra-filtration process. This process removes wax traces and other impurities from the honey, but it also eliminates its most essential ingredient – the pollen. Manufacturers claim that filtration is needed to prevent crystallizing and to extend the shelf life of the honey product. However, pollen is very beneficial for your health, so it is very good to consume it. Despite the lack of pollen, market-sold honey also contains low-quality mead. Some types of honey even contain glucose.

How to recognize fake honey?

There are some simple ways to recognize whether the honey is pure or fake. Here are some tricks and tips that can help you to check easily the honey’s purity:

  • Always read the labels before you buy honey. Don’t buy it if it contains high fructose corn syrup and commercial glucose.
  • Mix one tablespoon of honey into a cup of water. If it is pure, it will not dissolve in water.
  • If the honey doesn’t crystallize over time, then it is not pure. Combine a glass of water and a couple of drops of vinegar. Add some honey to this mixture and if you see foam formation, that means that the honey is adulterated with plaster.
  • Put some honey into a mixture of water and a few drops of iodine. If the honey turns blue, it is a sign of being combined with corn starch.
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