Do You Know Where Your Honey Comes From?

Several studies published recently seem to indicate that most honey purchased from chain stores contains no pollen. This is due to new ultrafiltration methods in which the honey is heated, mixed with water, and then filtered to remove all particles. This makes for a more aesthetically pleasing product, but it also cancels out most of the health benefits of honey consumption.

Chinese manufacturers are the ones most likely to use these ultrafiltration methods, because they are able to cut costs by importing the "sterilized" honey and sell it through a third party, all without inspections by the FDA.

But ultra-clean honey isn't the worst problem. In the past, honey from China and India has been shown to contain potentially harmful ingredients, including antibiotics and traces of heavy metals. In addition, this honey is often bulked up by adding high fructose corn syrup. This quickly diminishes any benefit of consuming honey at all.

For now, it appears the FDA is not willing to crack down. This means as consumers, it will be up to us to find a trustable source. Fortunately there are chain stores dedicated to natural products, who test the pollen and can often identify the geographic origin of their honey. And of course, there is always the farmer’s market.