how to check for real honey

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nagabee

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hi could you please share some points on how to detect honey mixed with sugar? as i have come across many who sell honey as 100% pure but add sugar in it in my neck of the woods.

thanks
 
This must be a real problem with honey in some parts of the world.

Quite often asian doorstep buyers ask me "Is it pure ? -- No added sugar ?"

I suppose that a chemical analysis of the proportions of the various sugars in the product would point to adulteration.

In the UK some non-honey food products are labelled "No Added Sugar"
 
hi could you please share some points on how to detect honey mixed with sugar? as i have come across many who sell honey as 100% pure but add sugar in it in my neck of the woods.

thanks

Take it to the laboratory and they measure the content of sacharose.

.
 
I used to wonder about this, there must be a lot of people that over feed syrup in spring, & this is stored in frames & mixed with nectar, most experienced beeks will feed just enough so they dont store it, but there are bound to be a lot that over feed so they dont risk losing bees or maybe dont have time to check on all their hives. It may not be a lot but it will be in there. It wouldnt suprise me if some imported honey is mostly from bees fed syrup to boost the amount they make.
 
. It wouldnt suprise me if some imported honey is mostly from bees fed syrup to boost the amount they make.

And you tell those serious claims without evidences. How wise is that?

You have honey regulations in UK and vets are responsible to check the stuff, is it honey or something else.
 
And you tell those serious claims without evidences. How wise is that?

You have honey regulations in UK and vets are responsible to check the stuff, is it honey or something else.

:iagree:
 
And you tell those serious claims without evidences. How wise is that?

You have honey regulations in UK and vets are responsible to check the stuff, is it honey or something else.

Whats it got to do with a vet & Hachi why are you agreeing with his post? I'm saying it may be a %age of honey but what else? They dont check all honey, lots of imported crap doesnt even taste like honey, i'm sure some is checked and pulled from the shelves that we dont hear about, but that will only happen if its been complained about by someone. They cant test every food item on our shelves.
 
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The big honey packers (Rowse etc.) are all very careful to test every batch of honey for authenticity, contamination, adulteration and degradation. They have a lab on the premises.

So what would sugar syrup test as thats been processed & moved around the hive & mixed with nectar?
 
They'd be checking for the proportions of fructose, glucose and sucrose, there should be much less of the latter than the former two.
They could also check for the molecular handedness of the fructose, naturally occurring fructose (levulose) is left polarising, commercially made fructose is more right handed.
Even if they added all the different sugars in the right proportions, they'd effectively be diluting the other components.

It would be very difficult to prove small additions of sugars (<10%) but large adulterations (>25%) would be obvious.
 
They'd be checking for the proportions of fructose, glucose and sucrose, there should be much less of the latter than the former two.
They could also check for the molecular handedness of the fructose, naturally occurring fructose (levulose) is left polarising, commercially made fructose is more right handed.
Even if they added all the different sugars in the right proportions, they'd effectively be diluting the other components.

It would be very difficult to prove small additions of sugars (<10%) but large adulterations (>25%) would be obvious.

Thanks, that almost makes sense to me, ive never heard of left & right polarising, but do they do this with all the EU & non EU honey that most shop bought jars contain? I'm learning here :)
 
Would add

Also the molecular structure of the anodes can be measured using a flux capacitor, thus polarizing the fructose levels .

Thus negating the need for bi molecular transfusion of the fructose granules to amalgamate them, resulting in partial parthenogenesis.
 
Also the molecular structure of the anodes can be measured using a flux capacitor, thus polarizing the fructose levels .

Thus negating the need for bi molecular transfusion of the fructose granules to amalgamate them, resulting in partial parthenogenesis.

Goes without saying

:D
 
Would add

Also the molecular structure of the anodes can be measured using a flux capacitor, thus polarizing the fructose levels .

Thus negating the need for bi molecular transfusion of the fructose granules to amalgamate them, resulting in partial parthenogenesis.

NONSENCE... every one knows that the flux capacitor will only work in the antipodes, and then only then if the Moon is waning and the Eropedes are being eclipsed by Uranus.

:facts:

Yeghes da
 
thanks everyone for sharing your views.

is there a simple way to check if sugar is added or not by a lay person without the testing kit etc.

i did read somewhere that if you put a few drops of honey on a tissue paper if it fails to sock through then it real or something like that.

other one goes something like this, drop a few drops of honey into a glass of water and if it dissolves then its mixed, or something of that nature.

before you all ask why have you not done the test:eek: i just have not found pure honey at the moment but when i get my paws on some will give it a shot.
 
thanks everyone for sharing your views.

is there a simple way to check if sugar is added or not by a lay person without the testing kit etc.

i did read somewhere that if you put a few drops of honey on a tissue paper if it fails to sock through then it real or something like that.

other one goes something like this, drop a few drops of honey into a glass of water and if it dissolves then its mixed, or something of that nature.

before you all ask why have you not done the test:eek: i just have not found pure honey at the moment but when i get my paws on some will give it a shot.

I dont have fake or bought honey but real honey sits in a blob like this on paper if you have something to compare it to?

image.jpg
 

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