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What Is “Honey Laundering?”

Honey laundering can mean many different things, but in broad terms, it describes honey that has been altered to contain less of the real product in lieu of cheap fillers like (city) water, synthetic sweeteners, and potentially harmful chemicals—without being clearly labeled as such.

Natural honey can be expensive and difficult to harvest. As a result, certain major honey producers, including several in China, rely on unsavory practices to create cheaper, more shelf-stable knockoffs.

It’s well-documented that China has been flooding the markets for years with honey that has had its beneficial pollen removed through ‘ultrafiltration.’

Ultra-filtration is a process that does two things: it gives honey a longer shelf-life and also makes it impossible to trace the country of origin. [An important note on filtration: all honey, including the real stuff, goes through a regular filtration process to remove debris and bee parts. But the added step of ultra-filtration is what separates legit honey from imposters.]

In certain cases, ultra-filtration isn’t the only modification made to honey.

Some samples of Chinese honey have tested positive for illegal antibiotics and have also been watered down with high fructose corn syrup. Honey imposters may also be made from cane, corn or beet sugar, rice syrup, or other cheaper sweeteners.

Why Should You Care?

The murkiness of honey laundering causes consumers to unknowingly use a product they may not want to purchase or put in their bodies.

The chief concern: imported honey may contain chemicals banned in the U.S. and Canada, like chloramphenicol, a broad spectrum antibiotic that has been linked to cancer as well as possible development of aplastic anemia, a rare but serious blood disorder.

Ultra-filtered honey may also be mixed with things like water or high fructose corn syrup, which further diminishes the natural benefits of honey.

Laundered honey will contain none of these health benefits.

What to Know When Shopping for Honey

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Because there are few regulations and several loopholes surrounding honey production and labeling, it can be difficult to know if the sweet stuff you see on your grocery store shelf is actually authentic.

That said, there are certain keywords that can help steer you in the right direction.

For starters, avoid the term “ultrafiltrated” because that means the original source of the honey isn’t traceable.

Also, don’t be fooled by the nomer “pure honey.” It’s not a meaningful description and doesn’t prevent against a contaminated product. Instead, look for the label “True Source Certified,” which indicates that the honey was voluntarily traced using a third party auditing system.

Price can also be a tip-off.  Producing real honey is a time and resource-intensive process and the costs will reflect that. You shouldn’t expect to pay just a few dollars for a jar of honey.

Perhaps your best—and safest—bet is to purchase honey from a local farmer.

Ask them about their bees and harvesting practices which will help ensure that you are getting the real deal.

At True Health Canada, we have a proven source of local honey, as well as bee pollen.

The hives are put far from contamination sources and are located in spray-free zones, near conservation lands of wild flowers, right here in BC.
We have unheated, (real) pure & unpasteurized, with no antibiotics. Bees are not and should not be fed sugar.
Purchase of this product supports small-scale, local agriculture.

We have unheated, (real) pure & unpasteurized, with no antibiotics. Bees are
not and should not be fed sugar
.

Call us today to order a jar, or two.