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Honey Filtering Myths
by Greg Martin, click here for bio
Program: Line on Agriculture
Date: November 08, 11
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Honey Filtering Myths. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
A new article out yesterday in the Food Safety News may have some people scratching their heads and wondering if they have been duped. The article by Andrew Schneider states that most store bought honey is...not honey. And his conclusion is that when ultra-filtering is used that removes the pollen and therefore it is no long honey. Bruce Boynton is the CEO for the National Honey Board and he says thats is very misleading.
BOYNTON: He’s using the term ultra-filtering incorrectly. He’s loosely using the term and throwing it around throughout the article. It’s used incorrectly so it’s misleading. Ultra-filtration is a specific kind of filtration that is used in the food industry but it’s not generally used by the honey industry.
When ultra-filtration is used on honey it truly does become something other than honey. Many foreign companies use it as a clear sweetener for soft drinks and it is not marketed as honey.
BOYNTON: Generally in the United States ultra-filtration is not used. The packers in this country don’t use ultra-filtration, it’s too expensive and they don’t need to do it. They do filter honey through different methods. Certain types of filtration does remove pollen but that’s not a bad thing or illegal thing or wrong thing. In fact in the USDA grading standards for extracted honey, it talks about the removal of pollen grains and other particulates in honey as part of the filtration process
Most U.S. consumers prefer to purchase clearer honey.
BOYNTON: They don’t want a cloudy product and it also delays granulation. Any particulates on honey including pollen will help honey crystalize faster on the shelf and people want a clear, liquid, golden honey on the shelf. We do have information on our website about filtration. He also makes the claim that honey that has been - and again he use the term ultra-filtered and therefore removing the pollen, it’s no longer honey and the headline of his article I think is outrageous.
But to again clarify, ultra-filtration of honey does make it into something else but then it is not marketed as honey. The story also mentions that more than 60 jars of honey from everyday stores were tested and most did not contain pollen. Boynton says...
BOYNTON: Tests show that most store honey isn’t honey - well he sampled some honey and tested it and it didn’t have pollen but that’s a normal process of filtration methods that are used in this country but for the most part honey that’s on the shelves is honey. And just because it doesn’t have pollen in it doesn’t mean it’s not honey.
For more information visit www.honey.com.
That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
On 13-Nov-11 08:40 PM Michael Dahlquist Wrote:
Just like to chime in a bit here. "The National Honey Board is a federal research and promotion board under USDA oversight that conducts research, marketing and promotion programs to help maintain and expand markets for honey and honey products. The National Honey Board is not a regulatory agency nor does it have powers of enforcement. The ten member board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, represents producers (beekeepers), packers, importers, and a marketing cooperative." This is right off their website. I'd like to add that Mr. Boynton is a liar. Not only do large companies use ultra filtration but they also cut honey with corn starch. The very same USDA that Mr. Boynton sits under allows this practice. This is the "honey" sold in the teddy bear everyone thinks is great. That's not all folks. Large companies also heat there honey to over 120 degrees which kills all the beneficial micro nutrients in the honey. So Mr. Boynton wants to sell you over filtered "honey" with corn starch and zero nutrient value. He also may think honey from China is ok. Thumb your nose at big government and by your honey from a local beekeeper. Throw the honey bear in the garbage. I'm a hobbyist beekeeper and want to set the record straight.
On 11-Nov-11 02:22 PM Rob Wrote:
Here is what I am still unclear on: We know that much of the honey being sold in the United States has no pollen at all. Are there commercially used methods other than ultra-filtration which will remove all of the pollen from honey? Or is ultra-filtration the only filtration process which will remove all of the pollen from the honey?
On 09-Nov-11 09:36 AM Jonathan Wrote:
I thought it was interesting that he focused on an issue of industry technical terminology rather than the real focus of the news report. And there's no comment on the traceability of the honey, which is a significant concern when there is known honey smuggling and relabeling--and that honey is coming into the US. Honey is smuggled because the US doesn't allow honey from countries with known honey contamination by poisonous substances (like Chinese honey).
On 09-Nov-11 09:10 AM I agree Wrote:
I think Honey without the pollen is just a cover to hide where it's coming from. I honestly think that only a slow person would care if it was clear or cloudy. I actually like to see part of the comb in the honey too. It adds some authenticity to the product. I don't want Chinese Honey, I want local honey!!
On 08-Nov-11 03:48 PM Michael Driver Wrote:
Yeah, that's an industry spokesperson for you. Focus on aesthetics and avoid the concerns about health and the health benefits of the pollen and the traceability of the honey (of which there is none when there's no pollen) to its original source in case of contamination. I think I'll stick with my local apiary and farmer's market, thanks. I'm tired of trusting big industries and their spokespeople - my health is "clearly" not their concern. My wallet is.
On 08-Nov-11 01:40 PM Cathy Wrote:
Does filtering out the pollen also remove the flavor of the pollen? This seems to be why all store bought honey tastes the same to me. It then becomes just another liquid sweetener.
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On 29-Jan-12 08:31 PM Dev Null Wrote:
You state that ultra-filtration is not done in the states. This is true. What you don't state is it's done BEFORE the so-called honey is sold to the packers. The NHB is well aware of it so are the packers. This issue isn't going away. What these people are doing is downright unAmerica. That's why I produce local honey and educate people about the crooked honey business. You should be ashamed.