Sigh...let me Google that for you?
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011...three-fourths of,of products labeled “honey.”
Shows that over 75% of store bought honey contained zero pollen. Why remove pollen? Because Chinese honey needs to have all the pollen filtered out so it cannot be traced back to China as the point of origin, and rice syrup obviously has no pollen. Every single honey on the list is *more* expensive than the Costco honey, so it is doubtful that they can economically deliver a cheaper price on real honey than rice syrup and chinese honey.
25% of organic honey showed low amounts of pollen inconsistent with unfiltered honey, which is a requirement for being labeled organic. If you think the requirements for labeling organic are less stringent than True Source Certified, then possibly you have a case, but that is assuredly not so.
www.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/884kq4/your-fancy-honey-might-not-actually-be-honey
*True Source* along with a multitude of name brand honeys are being sued after NMR testing has showed that the honey has been adulterated with rice syrup. *Let me reiterate that True Source Certification is named as a defendant* as honey that was True Source Certified was found to be adulterated.
Quoted: "Several beekeepers and packers, who didn't want to be named for fear of professional retribution, told me that True Source hasn't been as thorough as they claim to be, and has instead become a shield behind which nefarious players can import adulterated honey without reprimand.
Sophisticated and large scale adulteration has thus been able to make a mockery of the honey industry’s feigned attempt at 'self-policing' through True Source," said one honey importer and packer, who requested anonymity over fears of professional retribution.
Heitzinger said the actual number of bad actors operating under the True Source umbrella is unknown, but that he's tested many True Source-certified products and found evidence of adulteration. One honey they tested was so fermented from all the excess water added to dilute it "that in my opinion, you couldn't sell this to a minor because there's so much alcohol it would be illegal," Heitzinger said."
Nature Nate's is also true Source Certified and, quote, "Another
suit, filed by Heitzinger and Buehler in February against Texas honey company Nature Nate’s, alleged that its "100% RAW HONEY" had been heated, and that the samples showed that other sugar syrups had been added to the honey."
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/p...s-prison-avoiding-379-million-tariffs-chinese
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/p...arged-roles-illegal-honey-imports-avoided-180
Three of the largest Honey Packers responsible for much of the honey available for retail sale have pleas guilty to illegally importing lead and antibiotics tainted Chinese honey and relabelling as US honey or Argentine, Indian, Malaysian, Taiwanese, etc and adulterating with sweeteners. It would be impossible to avoid this honey purchasing from a big box retailer. And these guilty pleas are not stopping the flow of illegal and adulterated honey...the profits are too compelling for them to stop unless more stringent testing is required.
Plus, true it's hearsay, but it is directly from the source who tested it, said that he tested that exact Costco Honey with an NMR machine and it had rice syrup in it. Given the above evidence I would have to be dense to not believe him, especially since he had zero vested interest in honey sales.
So, I don't know what ulterior motive you have, whether you work for Costco, or are a honey packer, or you don't want to believe that you've made rice wine, or if you are just terrible at googling.
My vested interest is that I'm a beekeeper who is seriously upset that my hard work is being undercut by wholesale illegal activities, whether adding rice syrup or illegally importing antibiotic and lead tainted honey.
Sorry, I honestly joined because I wanted to learn how to make mead.
. I called around. Most didn't sell the quantities needed for mead.
