Honey processing
Practical Action
The name and address of the producer.
The weight of honey in the container (the net weight).
Other information may be included to benefit the customer: for example, the label on comb
honey may indicate that the whole comb including the wax is edible, or strained honey may have
a note to explain granulation (see below).
Quality Assurance
Honey is preserved because of its high sugar content (or
conversely its low moisture content), which prevents micro-
organisms (bacteria, yeasts and moulds) from growing in it.
Despite this, it must be handled hygienically, and all
equipment must be properly cleaned (see below).
The aroma and taste of honey are its most important
quality characteristics, but honey is often judged
according to its colour. The colour of honey depends
mainly on the source of the nectar. Usually dark-coloured
Figure 3: Honey tanks with
honeys have a strong flavour whereas pale honeys have a
filters. Photo courtesy of
more delicate flavour. Generally light-coloured honeys are
Camelot Country Products.
more highly valued than dark products. Some honeys have
a high pollen content, which makes them appear cloudy,
and this may be considered as lower quality by some
customers.
The main causes of loss in quality of honey are:
An increase in moisture content - too much water in honey (greater than 19-20%)
causes it to ferment. Honey is ‘hygroscopic’, meaning that it will absorb moisture, and
all honey processing equipment must therefore be completely dry. Honey should also be
processed as soon as possible after removal from the hive to prevent it absorbing
moisture from the air, especially in humid climates. In areas with a very high humidity it
can be difficult to produce honey of sufficiently low water content.
Development of HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural). This is a break-down product of fructose
(one of the main sugars in honey) that is formed slowly during storage but very quickly
when honey is heated. Colour can also be an indicator of quality because honey becomes
darker during storage and heating. The amount of HMF present in honey is used as a
guide to the age of the honey and/or the amount of heating that has taken place. Some
countries set an HMF limit for imported honey. HMF is measured by laboratory tests and
technical advice from a Bureau of Standards should be sought if export is being
considered.
Contamination by insects. Honey processing is a sticky operation, and the sugar in honey
attracts ants, cockroaches and flying insects. Careful protection is needed at all stages
of processing, including insect screens on doors and windows to prevent contamination
by insects. All honey residues on equipment should be removed by proper cleaning to
prevent them attracting insects. The presence of any other contaminations (e.g. particles
of wax, parts of bees, splinters of wood, dust etc.) make the honey very low value.
A note on granulation
Glucose is one of the main sugars in honey and when it crystallises (i.e. it changes from a liquid
to a solid), the liquid honey also becomes solid (or granulated). Depending on the source of the
nectar collected by bees, some types of honey are more likely to granulate than others, but
almost all honey will granulate if its temperature falls sufficiently. Granulation is a natural
process and there is no difference in nutritional value between solid and liquid honey. Although
there is obviously a difference in the texture between liquid and granulated honey, there is no
difference in the flavour or other quality characteristics. Some customers prefer granulated
honey, and if liquid honey is slow to granulate, the addition of 20% finely granulated honey will
cause it to granulate.
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