Its time to dispell the myths, through testing

[Homercidal]

No, what I'm talking about is when large producers (and maybe some small companies) purchase honey from overseas. Some Chinese producers have been caught adulterating supposedly pure honey with other things. The producers (or resellers, sometimes) in the US purchase honey from other countries, who were in fact, selling them honey that originally came from China.

Here is a sample:

http://www.apiservices.com/articles/us/honey_laundering.htm

and

http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/22/tainted-chinese-honey-may-be-on-u-s-store-shelves/

There are more.

 

[Intheswamp]

Phoney honey is definitely a big problem. Lots of Chinese honey is redirected through Vietnam and other Asian countries. Here's just one example of what's going on... http://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/112213819.html

The US has to import a great deal of honey because it (the US) doesn't produce enough to meet demand. Some people don't think it's a problem because they "don't eat honey". The trick here is that most of the imported honey goes into processed food products...cereals, breads, other bakery items and mixes, canned goods, etc.,...so those people that "don't eat honey" actually are eating it and eating the worst of it. I have come to believe/understand that mostly domestic honey is what is sold for bottled retail honey. Imported honey being mostly used as an "ingredient". Naturally, buying from a hobbiest or sideliner or even directly from some commercial outfits is about the best way to get good, pure, raw honey....you can also keep your own bees.

Honey production is just like any other facet of our culture today...there's crooks in everything...but everyone isn't a crook (if ya know what I mean).

Bottom line, support the local economy...by local honey.

Ed

 

[huntingohio]

I didnt just paint with a large brush intheswamp I busted out the HVLP spray gun. In my experience though its true. I know all about HFC being fed to bees during the winter, thats not What I was talking about. I have worked on 3 different "certified organic" farms, all three kept bees and sold honey as a sideline. At all of the farms during the summer the bees were fed sugar to increase honey production. Bigger yield= more profit= more food on the owners/ workers tables. The honey however wasnt marketed as "raw organic" atleast they werent lying about it. However they werent advertising that the bees diet was supplemented with sucrose. My private honey source, dosnt do this however he isnt worried about producing honey he just keeps it to propagate his flowers.

homercidal- hmm thats wierd, the bottles of it I have I bought pre-drought. Mine all say argentina and peru, the new bottles however do have asain countries on the bottle. I have recently made a switch to simply honey brand, it comes in 5 pound jugs and scorches at around 154 so its more pure.

I'm glad I only have a few more months of this caca honey stuff!

 

[Intheswamp]

ohio, I hope those "certified organic" farms didn't even have the word HONEY on the label...well, maybe in the ingredients lists....it should have been labeled as SYRUP. If they were feeding sugar with the intent of harvesting and selling it that is very unethical and does just what it has done...give legitiment beekeepers a blackeye. Around here a guy would be called out if he was passing off sugar syrup for honey. They're no better than the Chinese if they try to pass this off as honey...this would definitely make me suspicious of their "organic" products

Naturally we have to feed bees at times, but this is only to help the bees survive hard winters, drought, new colonies getting established, etc.,. Feed is withdrawn before a honey flow starts and honey supers are installed on the hives. The bees are smart, too, if a flow is on they pick the "real" nectar over the phoney stuff.

I'm hoping that this year the domestic harvest will be better than last year's. Hopefully we won't have as early of a spring and the bees can build up their populations to a good level.

Best wishes,
Ed