Buying honey: what you need to look out for
Honey is a truly a natural product. In order to benefit from its valuable properties, you should make sure that the honey you buy is of a good quality. We tell you what information to look out for on the jar, and when a bargain merits more scrutiny.
Whether you use it as a spread, in cooking and baking, or as a sweetener, you’re likely to have a jar of honey at home, unless of course you’re vegan. Bees have to log around 100 000 trips in order to make a kilo of honey. The taste, smell, colour and natural ingredients of honey depend on where the hard-working bees collect pollen. Monofloral honey, such as acacia or chestnut honey, is mainly made from a single plant species. Polyfloral honeys, which are made from the nectar of many different plants, are more common.
What does honey contain?
Honey is about 80% sugar (mainly fructose and glucose, with smaller quantities of polysaccharides). The rest is water. What makes it so valuable are the enzymes and ferments in it that can have antimicrobial properties, as well as amino acids and proteins. It also contains small amounts of minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and iron, as well as vitamin C and certain B vitamins. The whole cocktail is rounded off by secondary phytochemicals such as polyphenols, more than 120 flavouring agents and pollen. This all makes honey a high-value food, provided the quality is right.
Runny or set?
You can find a wide range of different types of honey at the supermarket. Runny, spreadable, set – are any of these characteristics indicative of quality? It depends. All honey starts off runny. But it starts to crystallise to varying degrees depending on what it contains. Runny honey contains more fructose and less glucose. But all honey crystallises at some point unless it has been industrially processed. Honey made in this way is heated to over 40 °C, and loses a lot of its valuable ingredients.
Labels offer guidance
Labels can give you a good idea of honey’s quality and organic properties. In Switzerland we have the Apisuisse Gold Label and the Bio Suisse Bud. Apisuisse stands for monitored Swiss bee honey and verifiable standards for beekeeping and honey quality, while the Bud represents certified organic manufacturing conditions. But you should bear in mind that organic products can come from anywhere. Check the label if you want your honey to be Swiss-made. And even without a label, honey can be produced conscientiously in accordance with the law.
Is quality a question of price?
A conspicuously low price isn’t necessarily an indicator of poor quality. Honey can be more or less expensive depending on the harvest, variety and origin. Take a close look. Where is the honey from? Who filled it? And is there really just honey in the jar? If you value really good honey, take a look around in your local area. There are now many small-scale beekeepers making high-quality, organic honey. You can support local production and enjoy safe, healthy food.
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