Honey

Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by bees and other insects from the nectar of flowers. "The definition of honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance. This includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners," according the United States National Honey Board 2003 and other nations' food regulations.

Honey as a product

Honey processing

• Comb honey A popular honey product. The honey is sold still in the wax comb.
• Raw Honey Honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining without adding heat. Raw honey contains some pollen and may contain small particles of wax. Local raw honey is sought after by allergy sufferers as the pollen impurities lessen the sensitivity to hay fever.
• Filtered Honey Honey processed by filtration to remove extraneous solids and pollen grains.
• Strained Honey Honey which has been passed through a mesh material to remove particulate material (pieces of wax, propolis, other defects) without removing pollen.

Other descriptions

• Blended Honey A homogeneous mixture of two or more honeys differing in floral source, color, flavor, density or geographic origin.
• Churned Honey or Cremed Honey See whipped honey.
• Crystallized Honey Honey in which some of the glucose content has spontaneously crystallized from solution as the monohydrate. Also called "Granulated Honey."
• Honey Fondant See whipped honey.
• Spun Honey See whipped honey.

In addition, Organic Honey is honey produced, processed, and packaged in accordance with national regulations, and certified as such by some government body or an independent organic farming certification organization.

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