Our experts have much deep and sound advice and knowledge.Does it taste like syrup ?Is it in a nifty plastic squeezy bottle with gaudy labelling? Real honey tends to have somewhat classier packaging.Natasha Lyon dug deeper:Questions public can ask their suppliers, according to Lyon:Are the honey sources from sustainable beekeeping practices?
“Fake honey, bulked up with such things as corn and rice syrups, are sold at a much lower price point, meaning that beekeepers selling pure honey are not able to compete, making their businesses unviable and unsustainable.” Which brings us to the pertinent question of what we are paying for honey, whether real or fake, and what we should be prepared to pay if the beekeeping community is to be able to survive.
“On the labelled average values of Typical Nutritional Information, the carbohydrate [sugar] of which total sugar % should be around 82% in pure choice grade honey, it’s not unusual to find a commercial bottle with a 63% total sugar — this does not fit with a beekeepers’ choice-grade honey. “‘Tasting like syrup’ isn’t an illegal exercise, it’s our imperfect legislation that allows for the loopholes and exploits the commercial market.”Labelling can be very misleading so there are not necessarily any ‘warning signs’ to suggest that it might be fake honey. But when buying local honey, a recommended safeguard is to inspect the label for the beekeeper’s name and contact details.
There are a lot of labels now that say “raw honey” to differentiate their honey from honey that’s been heated.
If you can't tell it's not honey, is it really a problem?