Water fasting and weightlifting is a key to sound health after 50

I have been lifting weights since my young years some 50 years ago. Then 16 years ago I started water fasting with the main purpose of avoiding possible cancer. Today, when I am 67, I do not know what it is like to be tired, melted of low energy or low testosterone. I like doing squats, dead-lifts and bench press after my work hours.

Here you see me doing light 135 pound squats in popping manner evidencing excessive energy level on my second say of water fast:

New crop honey on sale: Ukraine, India and more

New honey season commences.  Please see below what is currently on sale and what trends may look like.

Honey from Ukraine

Rapeseed 10+ FCL (full container load, ~ 20 metric tons) available at CFR $3550/MT and Acacia 2+ FCL at CFR $5350/MT at the port of Philadelphia. See details at the picture below:

Large scale 2015 honey supply from Ukraine

Large scale 2015 honey supply from Ukraine

Polyfloral honey from Ukraine is on sale at CFR $3450/MT at Canadian and/or US ports. A container (1 FCL) or more is available on monthly basis.

Honey from India and China

Acacia from India available from UAE, port of Dubai at FOB $5800/MT (color 10 mm Pfund; moisture 18%; HMF 6 mg/Kg).

indian acacia honey

Polyfloral honey from India (color <55 mm Pfund) at a descent price of CFR $3250/MT delivered at any US and/or Canadian ports. Up to 10 FCL are available for shipping to your destination.

A special offer for the US and Canadian buyers: ~30 FCL of good quality polyfloral honey (color 35 mm Pfund  Color of the honey) available from warehouses in New Jersey. The honey is of Chinese origin but it is accompanied by Intertek analyses and it has been released by the US CBP and FDA for the US markets. The first 4 FCL are going urgently at EXW $2300/MT from New Jersey. The rest 26 FCL may go at as low as $2800/MT at your destination port.

Please keep in mind that prices and amounts available are subject to change.

Specialty honeys: Manuka, Yemen sidr and Life Mel

Manuka and Yemen sidr honeys

Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey are known for millennia. A number of honeys originated from a variety of geographic locations are marketed as natural remedies for numerous health conditions. Manuka honey is the most known for its wounds and burns healing properties. Manuka honey is also marketed for use in many other conditions that include:

  • Preventing and treating cancer
  • Reducing high cholesterol
  • Reducing systemic inflammation
  • Treating diabetes
  • Treatingeye, ear, and sinus infections
  • Treating gastrointestinal problems

Active manuka honey

However the evidence is very limited on whether or not manuka honey is effective for the above conditions. To receive a UMF® grading, a honey must have the presence of DHA (dihydroxyacetone), Leptosperin, and Methylglyoxal. The UMF® rating is a measure of the attributes and values that make up Manuka honey, and assures purity & quality.

UMF activity grades for manuka

Yemen sidr honey is another expensive type of honey that comes from the sidr tree in Yemen. It is marketed as a miraculous remedy for nearly any possible illness.

Yemen sidr honey

A study has shown that certain honeys, namely the Manuka honey from New Zealand and the Sidr honey from Yemen, have a powerful killing action on these bacterial biofilms that is far superior to the most powerful anti-microbials used in medicine today. However except one case when Yemen sidr honey was shown to help fighting chronic sinusitis infection its other stated health benefits are lacking scientific evidences.

The new idea: Life Mel honey

One thing is to let bees find valuable nectar sources but what if purposefully design medical grade honeys instead of harvesting them from rare plants? To this goal one can feed bees with carefully designed concentrates from selected medicinal herbs to produce a variety of medicinal honeys with desirable activity profiles.

Life Mel Honey

Life Mel Honey

That’s exactly how Life Mel Honeys are designed and produced to help fighting a variety of health disorders ranging from respiratory problems to alleviation of side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Life Mel honey: Herbal sources

There is large number of nectar sources used in the design of Life Mel honey. The most important medicinal herbs are listed below:

Uncaria tomentosa, Echinacea purpurea ,Urtica dioica ,Calendula officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Beta vulgaris cicla, Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian Ginseng ), Vaccinium myrtillus, Taraxacum officinale, Ficus carica, Trifolium pratense, Morus alba, Chicorium intybus, Inula helenium, Ribes nigrum, Avena sativa

Life Mel honey: Therapeutic spectrum

  • Helps balancing blood parameters
  • Helps fighting respiratory disorders
  • Helps stabilizing digestive system
  • Helps maintaining energy and balancing hormone levels in elderly men and women

Life Mel honey: Clinical studies

Myelosuppression (bone marrow suppression) is the most important toxic side effect of most chemotherapeutic agents and typically is a dose-limiting factor.  Death occurring after chemotherapy usually results either from infection related to or drug-induced leukopenia  or from bleeding related to thrombocytopenia.

Clinical trials

A recent limited clinical study has shown that Life Mel Honey  was helpful in decreasing the incidence of anemia in 64% of 30 participated patients, decreasing the incidence of severe neutropenia and lowering the incidence of potentially fatal thrombocytopenia (low platelets).

Life Mel Honey_Chemo Support

Life Mel Honey: Chemo Support

In another small clinical study 56 children were treated with Broncho Life Mel Honey has indicated that the honey was safe for use in children of age two and up;  the honey was helpful in treatment of recurring respiratory infections, sore throat and pneumonia.

Life Mel Honey_Broncho Support

Life Mel Honey: Broncho Support

Let’s take advantage of these specialty honeys for better health and quality of our life. For any further information, samples or purchasing details please use Contact Us page.

Honey import on sale

Prices for honey import

Top prices (not average ones) for import of honey into the USA were notably higher in September than in August:

Prices for honey import_August 2014Prices on honey import in Sep 2014Typically, honeys from South America are the most expensive whereas Ukraine and Vietnam supply less expensive honeys. However due to generally lower harvest output this season, especially on acacia honey, the trend to price increase is expected to sustain.

Please consider below a variety of honeys we can currently offer for competitive prices. Again, acacia honey is very scarce this year and what is left goes at premium price range.

Acacia honey from location in the US

European origin (Romania), at EXW $3.32/pound ($7.32/Kg); 12 drums 290 Kg each

Acacia honey in bulkUSDA Organic (Ukraine) from location in the US USDA Organic honey

Jarred and bulk acacia honeys –       Sunflower, 45 mm Pfund, in 62 lbs buckets and in 200 L drums;

–       Acacia,13 mm Pfund, in 200 L drums;

–       Buckwheat, 98 mm Pfund, in 200 L drums;

–       Linden, 50 mm Pfund, in 200 L drums;

–       Polyfloral at CFR $4190/MT ($1.90/pound) at US ports.

62 Lbs pail of honey

Organic White Canadian honey

Organic Canadian Honey18 mm Pfund, 200 MT, 1FCL monthly at EXW $2.50/pound ($5.51/Kg), located in Canada;

Canadian Organic honeySpecs for Organic Canadian honey

Polyfloral honey from Ukraine

45 – 55 mm Pfund at FOB $3575/MT at port of Odessa Ukraine

Specs for Ukrainian honeyPolyfloral honey  from Ukraine

40 – 44 mm Pfund 2FCL ready to go at CFR $3500/MT ($1.59/pound) at US ports; certificates available.

Samples of UKR PolyfloralSpecs for Ukrainian honey_Polyfloral honey from Thailand

41 mm Pfund at CFR $3000/MT ($1.36/pound) at US ports; certificates available. Located in Germany.

Sample of Thai PolyfloralThai honey specsPolyfloral and Lychee honeys from India at CFR $3375/MT

Please note that CFR means price upon delivery to a destination port. Certificates of quality and analyses are available. Color is in the range of 25 – 50 mm Pfund.

Polyfloral and Lychee honey from India

Polyfloral and Lychee honeys from India

Specs for honey from India (2)Manuka honey supply from New Zealand

UMF manukaActive manuka honey of desirable activity of UMF +5, +20, etc., is available upon request from over 50 licensed suppliers in NZ. Also, blended manuka packed in 200 L barrels is available in large volumes at CFR $20/Kg at destination ports.

Please let us know if you are interested in any of the above opportunities. Prices and supply available are subject to change.

Honey on sale in bulk

Prices for US import: August 2014 Update

Between June and July 2014 prices for honey import in the USA did not change too much staying relatively high. However, data on import from Ukraine are absent in the USDA report of July. Prices for honey from Argentina look a little lower ($1.83 – $1.88 per pound; i.e. $4.03 – $4.14 per Kg) while India and Vietnam were able to keep about the same low prices as before (see picture below).

Prices paid for US import_JHowever, in August, the prices underwent significant growth of some 6% for Vietnam, 11% for Argentina and 17% for honey from India. Honey from Ukraine also came at some 10% higher price than back in May.

Prices paid for US import_August 2014Presently we have honey on sale from a number of countries below. As usual, prices are a subject to change at any time.

Honey for sale in bulkHoney from Ukraine

We presently have a supply of freshly collected 2014 Polyfloral honey from Ukraine (ELA, 45 – 55 mm Pfund; moisture 17.5 – 18.5%). This honey is for sale at CFR price (delivery to destination port included) $3600 – $3880 per ton ($1.63 to $1.76/pound) depending on destination and volume. We also have a variety of USDA Organic and Kosher certified honeys on sale.

UA Global_USDA Organic (2)

USDA-NOP Organic honey certificate

Certificates of analyses issued by QSI GmbH (Germany) are available.

Honey from Russia

Polyfloral (ELA, ~ 50 – 60 mm Pfund), Buckwheat, Linden, Rapeseed and Sunflower. Russian honey in general is notably stronger in flavor and aroma. Typically it is characterized by high diastase numbers, high antioxidant and healing activities. Prices are in the range of CFR $3200 – $3400 ($1.45 – $1.54/pound). Perfect honey for table and ingredient purposes. Confirmed supply is 40 tons monthly.

Honey from India

Polyfloral (ELA, < 50 mm Pfund). Price is in the range of CFR $3300 – $3360 depending on destination. Lower prices are possible at higher purchase volumes of some two 20 foot containers monthly. Please see an example of COA from Intertek for the honey below. Perfect honey for table and ingredient purposes. Confirmed supply is 500 tons monthly.

An example of pollen analysis_IndiaHoney from Vietnam

EU CERTIFIED Polyforal honey (LA, ~ 75 – 80 mm Pfund), COAs from Intertek (Germany). Perfect honey for ingredient purposes. CFR price which includes delivery to the USA/Canada ports is $3000 per ton ($1.36 per pound). This honey will be available starting from February 2015 the amount up to 1000 tons annually. Supply of 40-60 tons monthly is possible.

Vietnam honey_apiaryHACCP Certificate_Vietnam honeyThe honeys are located in the countries of origin. If you have any interest please let us know. We are opened for all discussions on prices and payment terms. Prices and supply volumes are subject to change.

Bashkir honey

Bashkir honey is harvested in the area of Outstanding Universal Value of Bashkir Ural which is recognized as a World Heritage by UNESCO.

Bashkir apiaryThe area of Bashkir Ural

The natural and cultural complex “Bashkir Ural” is located on the western slope of the Southern Ural Mountains within the limits of the mountain forest zone of Bashkortostan. “Bashkir Ural” occupies the territory of approximately 45 thousand hectares (450 km2). The main part of the complex “Bashkir Ural” is slightly affected by the man-induced changes (the standard residential population density makes up 2.3 people per square meter) and consists of a specifically protected state wilderness area “Shulgan-Tash” and a part of a state entomological wildlife reserve “Altyn Solok”.

Bashkir forestThe eastern part of the complex “Bashkir Ural” is located at the junction of two massive wood biomes of European-type broadleaved forests and light-coniferous and Siberia-type parvifolia hemi boreal forests with grass layer. About 90% of the complex territory is covered with woods.

Ancient way of Bashkir honey collection

Ancient way of Bashkir honey collection

The land area of “Bashkir Ural” comprises a high diversity of wild landscapes: mountain rivers gorges, plateau-like areas, steep-sloped ranges, bottom-lands and water storage basins. Low anthropogenic effect, variety of land forms within the complex territory and the convergence of European and Siberian flora and fauna assemblages made conditions for a particularly high biodiversity of the complex. All of the above mentioned points have, in its turn, been making the given area attractive for a man to live since ancient times and defined the natural management culture and traditions.

Wild honey collection

Wild honey collection

The territory of the natural and cultural complex has represented a model of balanced interaction with nature practically ever since the time of its first human habitation. Basically, such types of minor forest products harvesting as livestock grazing, haying, wild harvesting and hunt were developed. The terrain of the natural and cultural complex presents itself as a site, preserving a unique ancient craft of the Bashkir people wild-hive beekeeping, being an outstanding example of human-environmental interaction. Wild-hive beekeeping originated within the territory of the present-day Bashkortostan about one and a half thousand years ago. All the stages of beekeeping craft development can be viewed within the complex; Bashkir honey, produced by the Burzyan wild-hive bee, is acknowledged to be the best in the world in the view of its taste and the set of trace elements.

Nectar sources of Bashkir honey

Flowers

Flowers of Bashkir steppe

Flowers of Bashkir steppe

Notable for its beautiful amber, golden-amber and light amber colors, polyfloral Bashkir honey is characterized by aromatic flavor with a hint of emanation from meadow flowers such as dandelion, thyme,clover, alfalfa, sage, galium,yellow melilot and many others. The honey gives rich mouthfeel with attached pleasant aftertaste that satisfy everyone who is looking for unaltered gifts of Mother Nature.

Linden

Bashkir linden

Bashkir linden

Bashkiria is especially known for its linden honey. The fact is that in Bashkortostan there is zone of growing area of linden trees which extends on the territory of neighboring Chuvashia, Tatarstan where ubiquitous clean linden tree forests grow. Specifically in Bashkortostan it is located about 35% of all Russian linden trees! It is where the bees can collect pure white monofloral honey of special quality and outstanding properties. Flavor of honey reflects the richness of nature that belongs to this wonderful land. Linden honey is resistant to crystallization.

 

Small-leaved Linden

Small-leaved linden

Small-leaved linden

This tree (tilia cordata) is primary nectar source in Bashkir forest which gives up to 70 – 80% of marketable honey. In Bashkortostan,forest area with its predominance covers 933 hectares i.e. 17% of the forests of the country. Particularly high nectar producers are old-growth forests of linden trees. Nectar collection from this honey plant in a time characterized by great intensity but is not prolonged:only 10 to 15 days.

Accumulation of nectar in a hive begins with small weight gain of 0.5 – 0.7 kg then increases rapidly and at the height of bloom of a mid-size linden array reaches 5 – 8 kg or more then the weight gains are plummeting. The weather conditions during the linden bloom significantly affect the duration and intensity of nectar production by the flowers.

One hectare of linden tree in blooming time has 15 -17 million flowers that produce up to 500 – 700 kg elixir-like nectar.

Willow

Bashkir willow

Bashkir willow

Willow family is very large. In the spring forest goat willow (sálix cáprea) starts blooming first. It grows as a large separate tree blooming for 8 -12 days before leaves to unfold in late April to early May. Harvesting honey from goat willow gives life impetus to bees for the month of May but maple, willow and oak altogether give impulse to bee colonies to grow at an optimal rate. Hence, bees grown at that time constitute the main force of their decisive reproductive capacities for the whole season.

Bashkir maple

Bashkir maple

Norway maple

It blooms in the middle of May for 8-10days before leafing.

Bashkir oak

Bashkir oak

Oak

Oak often grows in a mixed forest in all forest areas west of the Urals and in the Urals. It blossoms in the second half of May to give the bees nectar.

HONEY: Fancy Food Show

NEW YORK: North America’s Largest Specialty Food & Beverage Event will be in New York City from June 29 – July 1, 2014. Discover 180,000 products including confections, cheese, coffee, snacks, spices, ethnic, natural, organic and more. Connect with 2,400 exhibitors from 80 countries & regions.

Fancy Food ShowBuyers and suppliers get together

The Key Buyer Program is a complimentary VIP program for our most qualified retail and foodservice buyers. It is designed to facilitate private meetings between buyers and their manufacturer partners. It helps you cut through the busyness of the tradeshow floor by putting buyers and sellers face-to-face through private meetings, as well as Business Builder 1-to-1 networking sessions (held the Saturday before the Show opens).

Summer 2014 Fancy Food ShowLet Us Be Your Concierge
Private Meetings (personal meetings in private suites); Sunday, June 29 – Tuesday, July 1, 2014 8am-5pm

How do the Private Sessions work?

  • All companies are individually handpicked and appointments are set up in your own private suite, off the show floor.
  • We set up appointments with the vendors you would like to see based on your specific needs.
  • We are very flexible and will work the meetings in any way to accommodate you.

When and where does it take place?

These sessions take place whenever you would like during the show from Sunday, June 29 – Tuesday, July 1 (8am – 5pm)

To sign up in Private Meetings or request more information contact:

BUYERS to sign up for Private Meetings or request more information contact:
Lisa Werner at lwerner@specialtyfood.com or

EXHIBITORS CAN NOT SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE IN PRIVATE MEETINGS
You will be contacted if a buyer requested a meeting with you.

Prices for Honey Import in the USA

Decline of domestic honey production

A year ago an article Honey Bees Are Dying said that Colony Collapse Disorder has wiped out whopping 10 million bee hives worth $2 billion over the past six years. The death rate for colonies has hit 30% annually in recent years and there are now about 2.5 million honey bee colonies left in the US, down from 6 million in 1947 and 3 million in 1990. That downward spiral leaves “virtually no cushion of bees for pollination,” the report’s authors write.

The below statistics has been taken from the US National Honey Board on Honey Demand, 2014 report. Colony collapse among U.S. suppliers and the growth of honey imports top the list of major structural changes in the US honey industry. In 1965, U.S. commercial honey bee colonies totaled 4,718 million colonies. By 2013, total colonies declined to 2, 64 million or about 53% of the 1965 levels.

Increase in honey import

Honey imports in the USA

Honey imports in the USA

From 1989 to 2000, Asia supplied 36.5% of the imported honey and South America, 40.7%. Major shifts after that period occurred with Asia’s share being 47.6% and South America’s equaling 31.3%, thus, pointing to the growing importance of Asia as a source of honey. Between the two periods, Asia’s volume grew by 135% and South America’s by 38%.

Combining domestic and imports provide a complete picture of available honey within the U.S. marketplace that must be utilized and marketed. Within the bars in figure below, the lower bars represent domestic production and the upper bars are imports. By 2012, total honey available to the U.S. marketplace reached 458 million pounds with imports accounting for approximately 68% of the total. That number is contrasted with 1965 when imports supplied around 5% of the total.

Combined domestic and import honey supplies

Combined domestic and import honey supplies

The above picture best illustrates the combined structural change in the honey industry. Total honey availability has increased by a factor of 1.79 times the 1965 pounds. Yet domestic honey accounted for around 32% of the total by 2012. Even with the U.S. colony collapse and productivity trends, total pounds of honey available to U.S. consumers has increased as a direct result of the growing imports of honey.

Domestic producer compare to import FOB prices

Domestic producer compare to import FOB prices

Domestic honey prices have risen from $0.18 per pound to over $1.95 per pound between the 1965 through 2012 years. That is nearly an 11-fold increase in price over the time span.

Latest price change trends

Let’s turn to some recent statistics. Honey production in 2013 from producers with five or more colonies totaled 149 million pounds, up 5 percent from 2012. The average producer price per pound was $2.121, up 6% from $1.992 in 2012

In the last eight years domestic honey prices in the US showed steadily growth in both retail (from ~$3.8 to more than $6 per pound, i.e. ~ 60% increase) and wholesale(from ~$2.7 to ~ $4.6 per pound. i.e. ~70% increase).

This year of 2014, with domestic production capable to satisfy only ~ 30% of the United States demand in honey 70% must be imported from abroad.

Accordingly, prices for honey import to the United States (although in general 50 – 60% lower than average domestic ones) expressed in CIF Incoterms have grown lately from ~ $1.50 to ~ $1.90 per pound, i.e. some 27% increase for the last three years.

Latest prices for US honey import

According to the USDA National Honey Reports, prices paid to the US importers that included transportation, custom duties and containers cost (ex-dock terms) in April 2014 fell into $1.30 (Vietnam) to $1.89 (Argentina) per pound range as shown below.

US honey import_April 2014

US honey import_April 2014

Prices for the US import in May 2014 were within $1.34 (Vietnam) to $1.95 (Argentina) per pound range:

US honey import_May 2014

US honey import_May 2014

Prices for the US import in June 2014 were within $1.31 (Vietnam) to $2.07 (Argentina) per pound range:

US honey import_June 2014

US honey import_June 2014

However, in June 2014 price for the US produced Buckwheat honey, for instance, was in the range of $2.50 to $3.15 per pound at ~ 4400 pound (2000 Kg) sale scale.

We will keep you posted on further trends in the US honey import prices.

Quality standards for honey

Definitions of honey

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, honey is a sweet viscid material elaborated out of the nectar of flowers in the honey sac of various bees. Wikipedia defines honey as a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers.

Codex Alimentarius Standard for Honey (Codex Stan 12-1981)

CODEX AlimentariusHoney is the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectar of plants or from secretion of living parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in the honey comb to ripen and mature.”

US FDA definition and description of honey

FDA(see FDA Standards for honey)

Basically, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was actively working closely with the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the development of internationally accepted standards for honey. Therefore the below quotation from an FDA document describing the FDA view of standards for honey as of March 2006 is in essence the acceptance of the above Codex Alimentarius standards:

“The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other U.S. interests participate in the development of international standards by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international organization formed in 1962 to facilitate world trade. In 2001 the revised Codex Standard for Honey was adopted by the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The United States participated fully in the proceedings. While honey is produces in the U.S., traded internationally and consumed both as a packaged food and as a food ingredient, there currently is no standard of identity for honey in the U.S. law.”

Paragraph 2.1 of Exhibit C of the document reads:

“2,1 DEFINITION

Honey is the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectar of plants or from secretion of living parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in the honey comb to ripen and mature.”

Also, here is the FDA description of honey:

“2.2 DESCRIPTION

Honey consists essentially of different sugars, predominately fructose and glucose as well as other substances such as organic acids, enzymes and solid particles derived from honey collection. The color of honey varies from colorless to dark brown. The consistency can be fluid, viscous or partly to entirely crystallized. The flavor and aroma vary, but derived from the plant origin.”

Classification of honey

Types of Honey by USDA (see United States Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey):

  • Liquid honey is honey that is free of visible crystals.
  • Crystallized honey is honey that is solidly granulated or crystallized, irrespective of whether candied, fondant, creamed, or spread types of crystallized honey.
  • Partially crystallized honey is honey that is a mixture of liquid honey and crystallized honey.
  • Filtered honey is honey of any type that has been filtered to the extent that all or most of the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, or other materials normally found in suspension, have been removed.
  • Strained honey is honey of any type that has been strained to the extent that most of the particles, including comb, propolis, or other defects normally found in honey have been removed. Grains of pollen, small air bubbles, and very fine particles would not normally be removed.

It is widely accepted that raw honey is honey which was not filtered or heated above normal ambient temperature.

Honey may be classified as

  • Monofloral (from a single botanical source). Monofloral honey may be classified by the specific blossom-type from which the nectar is extracted (e.g., blueberry honey made from nectar obtained from blueberry blossoms). Often, specialty monofloral honeys sell at a premium price.
  • Polyfloral (from multiple botanical sources, with no single predominant floral source). Polyfloral honey, having been derived from a mixture of many floral nectars, is generally classified by the time of the year it is harvested rather than by floral sources (e.g., spring honey or autumn honey); however, polyfloral honey may also be classified by the area from which the nectar was sourced such as “desert honey” or “mountain honey.”

While many varieties of honeys exist on the market, most honey is blended to achieve a desired color and flavor as well as to produce uniform product throughout a given market, most natural honey produced in the United States is marketed in liquid form, which is honey that is extracted from the comb by centrifugal force, gravity, or straining.

Natural honey is also marketed as

  • Cream honey (also called “creamed,” or “whipped”), which consists of pure honey in which glucose crystallization has been encouraged;
  • Comb honey, which is honey marketed in the beeswax comb, both of which are edible;
  • Cut comb honey, which is liquid honey that has been packaged with chunks of honey comb; and
  • Dry honey (also known as “dried” or “powdered” honey), which is made by removing the water found in liquid honey by drum- or spray-drying.

Honey embodies mild antiseptic properties and has been used in the treatment of minor skin injuries such as burns and lacerations.

Obviously, honey is a valuable natural food product. Honey was recently listed as one of the 11 healthiest foods in the world: “It is rich in antioxidants and is often used as an antiseptic treatment on wounds. As Rodale said, it also contains phytoestrogens, and studies on Greek honey have found that those phytoestrogens can blunt the growth of breast, prostate, and endometrial cancers. Honey also has a low glycemic index, so using it to sweeten tea or coffee won’t lead to energy-busting blood sugar drops later in the day.”

However, since honey was turned to a commodity long time ago, it has been unintentionally and intentionally denatured, altered and adulterated by addition of water, sugar or high fructose corn syrup or by removal of pollen often for profit gain (See: Honey Bee Hoarding of High Fructose Corn Syrup and Cane Sugar Syrup, 1980). As the result, by 2011 two thirds of the honey found in the US stores was reported denatured. Accordingly, to distinguish between natural and denatured honeys the original simple definition of honey should have been complemented by additional characteristics such as water content, sugar (sucrose) content, diastase activity, and pollen presence to name a few. FDA: Honey with any added sweeteners isn’t honey. The agency said enforcement action is possible against U.S. food businesses or importers if companies try to cut those sweeteners into real honey and do not label the product correctly. If those sweeteners are added, the label should read “blend of sugar and honey” or “blend of honey and corn syrup. The FDA regularly detains honey imports and tests them after finding drug residues and unlabeled added sweeteners.

Quality standards for honey

Quality of honey is characterized by three sets of parameters:

  • Organoleptic properties reflect what can be sensed and described based on sight, taste, smell, and mouthfeel. Those are: color, aroma, taste and texture.
  • Natural chemical composition of honey is formed by water, glucose, fructose, reducing sugars, sucrose, protein, enzymes and vitamins content.
  • Level of chemical contamination caused by residual antibiotics, pesticides and heavy metals. Added sugars like HFCS or artificial sweeteners can also be measured.

Color of honey

Grading according to color has long been an important factor in marketing of honey. Currently USDA uses spectrophotometric approach to systematically grade honey into seven color designations (see United States Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey):

  • Water White (means colorless)
  • Extra White (darker)
  • White
  • Extra Light Amber (ELA)
  • Light Amber (LA)
  • Amber
  • Dark Amber

Pfund Scale for Honey Color

Pfund Scale for Honey Color

Earlier a semi-quantitative scale was devised to describe the color of honey. Measurements were originally made with the Pfund color grader, which consisted of a wedge of amber-colored glass next to a wedge-shaped cell which is filled with honey. The instrument is read visually; the reading is the distance the wedge must be moved to make a match, and is expressed in millimeters.

Pfund Grader

Pfund Grader

While the Pfund color grader is not the officially approved device for determining color designation for the USDA grade standards of honey, it is still popular in the honey industry. Instead, according to the USDA, transmittance is measured at a wavelength of 560 nanometers, through 3.15 centimeters of a freshly-prepared caramel-glycerin solution that matches the color of the honey, as compared with the transmittance of pure glycerin. The optical density (absorbance), as given in the last column in the table below, is log to the base 10 of 100 divided by the percent transmittance (see Definition of Honey Color Grades).

Color Designations for Extracted HoneyAccording to Bruce Boynton, CEO of the National Honey Board, nearly 50% of U.S. consumers want honey that’s clear and golden, and that about 25% prefer raw, unfiltered honey. The floral source grants honey its distinctive flavor (e.g., star thistle, orange blossom, sage, and clover) and its distinctive color (e.g., “water white” or “dark amber”). Generally, lighter colored honeys possess a more mild flavor (e.g., clover honey), while darker colored honeys possess a stronger flavor (e.g., buckwheat honey). Honey is valued on the basis of floral source and color, and in most countries, the light-colored and milder tasting honeys are considered to be more valuable.

Perhaps, there is erroneous belief among many consumers that “light and clear” honey is somehow cleaner and healthier than dark, translucent or opaque honey. The truth is right the opposite. The darker a honey is the more peroxide fighting antioxidants it contains which means more healing power the honey may produce. Again, the darker a honey is the more it is distant from high fructose corn syrup in terms of quality and the more valuable it is. Want analogy? Think of white (artificial) vs dark chocolate!

Natural chemical composition of honey

(See: FDA Standards for honey. Exhibit B)

Honey is a sweet viscous fluid derived from the nectar of flowers and produced in the honey sac of bees. Honey is an invert sugar, composed mainly of simple sugars (called monosaccharaides, such as fructose and glucose) and water. Fructose and glucose comprise approximately 70% of the content of honey while water comprises about 17%. The remaining components of honey are maltose, sucrose (commonly called “table sugar”), and other complex carbohydrates. Also, honey contains essential vitamins (e. g., vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid), minerals (e.g., calcium, copper, iron, zinc, and magnesium), several different amino acids, and several antioxidant compounds (e.g., vitamin C and chrysin). Honey is classified by its individual characteristics (e.g., floral source, color, season, physical state, and means of preparation. There are over 300 unique varieties of honey that are produced in the United States. Honey differs in flavor and color depending upon the floral source from which the nectar is extracted by the honey bee.

Colors of honey

Colors of honey

Biological activity of honey is characterized by diastase number. Diastase is a group of enzymes added by bees during honey production for the breakdown of starch into maltose. (see: Measurement of Honey Quality). Read more about diastase here.

Constituent Content Limits
Moisture (water) Not more than 20% (< 20%)
Sum of Fructose and Glucose Not less than 60 g/100 g (> 60%)
Sucrose Not more than 5g/100 g (< 5%)
Water insoluble solids Not more than 0.1 g/100 g (< 0.1%)
Free acidity Not more than 50 milliequivalents per 1000g; i.e., not more than (MW x 50)/1000
Diastase activity Not less than 8 Schade units (see )
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) Not more than 40 mg/KgNot more than 80 mg/Kg for the honey from tropical ambient temperatures
Electrical conductivity Not more than 0.8 mS/cm-1

Please note that many national beekeeping organizations (e. g., Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Switzerland) have moisture (water) maximum content required not to exceed 18 – 18.5%.

According to the Codex Alimentarius standards reviewed and accepted by the US FDA ”honey sold as such shall not have added to it any food ingredient, including food additives, nor shall any other additions be made other than honey. The honey shall not have begun to ferment or effervesce. No pollen or constituent particular to honey may be removed except where there is unavoidable in the removal of foreign inorganic or organic matter.”

Chemical contaminants in honey

Modern production of honey occurs in the conditions where monoculture practices and mass production of food have led to massive use of agricultural chemicals. As the result, today’s honey is produced in the environment polluted with fertilizers and pesticides. The chemical pollutants, in turn adversely affect biochemistry and health of bees bringing new problems such as Colony Collapse Disorder and other diseases. To cope with new and old challenges beekeepers are prompted to use animal drugs such as antiseptics and antibiotics.

PESTICIDES

Tolerances and exemptions for pesticide chemical residues in food as of Code of Federal Regulations Title 40, Part 180 (data for use in honey is only shown)

Pesticide Parts per million, less than
§180.189 Coumaphos 0.15
§180.287 Amitraz 0.2
§180.287 Tau-Fluvalinate 0.02
EXEMPTIONS from the requirement of a tolerance
§180.1011 Microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner Exemption from the requirement of a tolerance is established for residues of Microbial insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner in or on honey and honeycomb when it applied to growing crops, or when it applied after harvest in accordance with good agricultural practices.
§180.1035 Pine oil Pine oil is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance for residues in the raw agricultural commodities honey and honeycomb, when present therein as a result of its use as a deodorant at no more than 12 percent in formulation with the bee repellent butanoic anhydride applied in an absorbent pad over the hive.
§180.1092 Menthol the pesticidal chemical in or on honey and honeycomb when used in accordance with good agricultural practice in over-wintering bee hives.
§180.1178 Formic acid when used to control tracheal mites and suppress varroa mites in bee colonies, and applied in accordance with label use directions.
§180.1271 Eucalyptus oil In or on honey, honeycomb, and honeycomb with honey when used at 2 g or less eucalyptus oil per hive, where the eucalyptus oil contains 80% or more eucalyptol.

Coumaphos Tolerance in Honey

Amitraz Tolerance in Honey

Fluvalinate Tolerance in Honey

US EPA: What the Pesticide Residue Limits are on Food

EPA: Index to Pesticide Chemical Names and Tolerances

Codex Pesticides Residues in Food Online Database

Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations; Title 40: Protection of Environment (see CFR_2011_title 40 _vol 24_part180)

ANTIBIOTICS

In general, antibiotics should not be detected in honey. Oxytetracycline is commonly used in the USA and EU to control the outbreak of American foulbrood and European foulbrood. FDA has established maximum residue limits (MRL) called tolerances for residual animal antibiotics in food stated in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 556. However, there are no residue limits established for veterinary drugs particularly in honey that implies that they should be absent.

Similarly, the EU regulations for honey are expressed in the Council Directive 2001/110/EC. MRL values for residual antibiotics in foodstuffs are set in Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 which states that each antibiotic must have its MRL established before it can be used in a food producing animals. However, there are no MRL established for residual of veterinary drugs particularly in honey that means that EU does not allow any residual antibiotics in honey.

Codex Alimentarius provides MRL values for veterinary drug residues in food which can be found in an online database: Codex Veterinary Drug Residues in Food Online Database

The use of animal drugs in the United States and prohibited drugs

Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 530 – Extralabel drug use in animals

Extralabel use means actual use or intended use of a drug in an animal in a manner that is not in accordance with the approved labeling. This CFR applies to the extralabel use in an animal of any approved new animal drug or approved new human drug by or on the lawful order of a licensed veterinarian within the context of a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship. The purpose of CFR is to establish conditions for extralabel use or intended extralabel use in animals by or on the lawful order of licensed veterinarians of Food and Drug Administration approved new animal drugs and approved new human drugs.

§530.41   Drugs prohibited for extralabel use in animals

(a) The following drugs, families of drugs, and substances are prohibited for extralabel animal and human drug uses in food-producing animals.

(1) Chloramphenicol;

(2) Clenbuterol;

(3) Diethylstilbestrol (DES);

(4) Dimetridazole;

(5) Ipronidazole;

(6) Other nitroimidazoles;

(7) Furazolidone.

(8) Nitrofurazone.

(9) Sulfonamide drugs in lactating dairy cattle (except approved use of sulfadimethoxine, sulfabromomethazine, and sulfaethoxypyridazine);

(10) Fluoroquinolones; and

(11) Glycopeptides.

(12) Phenylbutazone in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older.

(13) Cephalosporins (not including cephapirin) in cattle, swine, chickens, or turkeys:

(i) For disease prevention purposes;

(ii) At unapproved doses, frequencies, durations, or routes of administration; or

(iii) If the drug is not approved for that species and production class.

(b) The following drugs, families of drugs, and substances are prohibited for extralabel animal and human drug uses in nonfood-producing animals: [Reserved]

(c) [Reserved]

(d) The following drugs, or classes of drugs, that are approved for treating or preventing influenza A, are prohibited from extralabel use in chickens, turkeys, and ducks:

(1) Adamantanes.

(2) Neuraminidase inhibitors.

Unsafe drug residues can be a reason for detention of an import shipment of honey (FDA Import Alert 36-04). Antibiotics are used in the treatment of honey bee diseases. However, certain drug residues are a concern to human health. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and/or fluoroquinolones as drugs to treat honey bees.

Extralabel uses of chloramphenicol, nitrofuran and/or fluoroquinolone drugs are prohibited in food producing animals. Therefore, if they are used as drugs to treat honey bees, they are considered to be unsafe new animal drugs within the meaning of Section 512. If there are residues of these drugs in honey as a result of treatments of the bees, the honey is deemed to be adulterated under section 402(a)(2)(C)(ii) of the FFDCA.

Furthermore, chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and/or fluoroquinolones are considered to be food additives if the intended use of these substances results in or may reasonably be expected to result in their becoming a component of food. Chloramphenicol, nitrofurans and/or fluoroquinolones are not generally recognized as safe for use in food, nor is there a food additive regulation authorizing their use in food. Consequently, residues of these drugs in foods are unsafe food additives within the meaning of Section 409 of the FFDCA and would render the food adulterated under section 402(a)(2)(C)(i).

Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Part 556 – Tolerances for residues of new animal drugs in food

Unfortunately, there are no tolerances established for the residual drugs in honey. However, tolerances established for the residues in different types of food (or tissues) may serve as guidance. For instance, for Tetracycline the tolerances fall into 2 – 12 ppm while for Streptomycin into 0.5 to 2.0 ppm ranges depending on the type of food.

§556.500   Oxytetracycline

(a) Acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ADI for total tetracycline residues (chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline) is 25 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.

(b) Beef cattle, dairy cattle, calves, swine, sheep, chickens, turkeys, finfish, and lobster. Tolerances are established for the sum of residues of the tetracyclines including chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline, in tissues and milk as follows:

(1) 2 parts per million (ppm) in muscle.

(2) 6 ppm in liver.

(3) 12 ppm in fat and kidney.

(4) 0.3 ppm in milk.

Tolerances for Oxytetracycline in foods

Tolerances for Oxytetracycline in foods

§556.610   Streptomycin

Tolerances are established for residues of streptomycin in uncooked, edible tissues of chickens, swine, and calves of 2.0 parts per million (ppm) in kidney and 0.5 ppm in other tissues.

§556.720   Tetracycline

(a) Acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ADI for total tetracycline residues (chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline) is 25 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.

(b) Tolerances. Tolerances are established for the sum of tetracycline residues in tissues of calves, swine, sheep, chickens, and turkeys, of 2 parts per million (ppm) in muscle, 6 ppm in liver, and 12 ppm in fat and kidney.

It worth noting that although there are established tolerances for Enrofloxacin (§556.226   Enrofloxacin, 0.1 – 0.5 ppm) by its chemical structure it does belong to the group of Fluoroquinolones listed above as prohibited drugs (§530.41). Obviously, best decision in such situations would be not to use Enrofloxacin or other controversial drugs in beekeeping.

Bottom line. If you are a honey exporter who considers export to the USA and/or Canada, you have to make all possible efforts in order to keep residual antibiotics in your honey supply below Limits of Detection that are in ppb range (1/1000 of ppm).

Determination of Veterinary Drugs in Honey

While it is understood that there should not be any residual antibiotics in honey, the authorities, taking into account the world’s realities, may accept residual antibiotics if:

  • They are not prohibited
  • They are in ppb range, not in ppm range.

Maximum Residue Limits for antibiotics in honey which may or may not be accepted by the USA and Canada:

Antibiotic USA, ppb Canada, ppb
Tetracycline 10 75
Oxyteracycline 10 300
Chlortetracycline none 30
Sulfonamides none 30
Tylosin 60 60
Erythromycin none 30

TOXIC METALS

US FDA: Metal chemical contaminants in food

US EPA: Mercury

§556.60 Arsenic; Lead; Tin

EFSA on metals in food

For the heavy metals cadmium, lead and mercury, maximum levels in certain foods have been established by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006.

Metal EFSA in foodstuffs, Less than mg/Kg EFSA, Less than FDA, Less than
Lead 0.020 20 ppb 50 ppb
Cadmium 0.050 50 ppb
Mercury 0.5 500 ppb (0.5 ppm)
Tin 50 50000 ppb (50 ppm) 200 ppm

See US FDA: Juice HACCP Hazards and Controls Guidance First Edition

Lead is especially hazardous to young children. In 1993, FDA established an emergency action level of 80 ppb and above for lead in juice packed in lead soldered cans. (See the Federal Register notice of April 1, 1993 (58 FR 17233).) However, based upon a recent toxicological assessment for lead carried out by the Joint WHO/FAO Expert Committee on Food Additives, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food standards organization that establishes safe levels for the protection of consumers, has recently established a maximum level of 50 ppb for lead in ready-to-drink fruit juices, including fruit nectars that are in international trade, to protect the public health. FDA concurs with this recent assessment that lead levels in juice above 50 ppb may constitute a health hazard, and FDA may in the future establish an action level for lead in juice at levels above 50 ppb. If you determine that lead is a hazard that is reasonably likely to occur in your juice, we recommend that you establish controls to ensure that lead levels do not exceed 50 ppb (better 30 ppb).

Consumption of juice containing excessive levels of tin can lead to acute gastrointestinal illness. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is considering establishing a maximum level of 200 ppm for tin in canned liquid foods for the protection of consumers.

Beware of fake honey

Honey is an excellent natural product known for thousands of years and valued for its sweet flavor, flower aroma and healing properties. However, with the honey industry growth into multi-billion dollar business continues, fraudulent trend of replacing high quality honeys, especially its most expensive brands, by cheap surrogates is on the rise.

Honeybee and pollen

Honeybee and pollen

Pollen removal to conceal the honey origin

According to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News in 2011, more than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn’t exactly what the bees produce. The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled “honey.” The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world’s food safety agencies.

Electron microscope picture of pollen

Electron microscope picture of pollen

The food safety divisions of the  World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled that without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says that any product that’s been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn’t honey. However, the FDA isn’t checking honey sold here to see if it contains pollen.

Ultra filtering is a high-tech procedure where honey is heated, sometimes watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely small filters to remove pollen, which is the only foolproof sign identifying the source of the honey. It is a spin-off of a technique refined by the Chinese, who have illegally dumped tons of their honey – some containing illegal antibiotics – on the U.S. market for years.

Food Safety News decided to test honey sold in various outlets after its earlier investigation found U.S. groceries flooded with Indian honey banned in Europe as unsafe because of contamination with antibiotics, heavy metal and a total lack of pollen which prevented tracking its origin.

Some of the US honeys analyzed for pollen

Some of the US honeys analyzed for pollen

Vaughn Bryant, who is director of the Palynology Research Laboratory, found that among the containers of honey provided by Food Safety News:

•76 percent of samples bought at groceries had all the pollen removed, These were stores like TOP Food, Safeway, Giant Eagle, QFC, Kroger, Metro Market, Harris Teeter, A&P, Stop & Shop and King Soopers.

•100 percent of the honey sampled from drugstores like Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS Pharmacy had no pollen.

•77 percent of the honey sampled from big box stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target and H-E-B had the pollen filtered out.

•100 percent of the honey packaged in the small individual service portions from Smucker, McDonald’s and KFC had the pollen removed.

Honeys with pollen removed

Honeys with pollen removed

Fake manuka honey

Manuka honey, an increasingly popular yet costly health supplement, is at the center of an international food fraud investigation amid evidence that big part of manuka honey is fake. Manukahoney, which sells for up to £45 for a 500g jar, has been praised by sports stars and celebrities such as Katherine Jenkins, the classical singer, Scarlett Johansson, the actress, and Novak Djokovic, the world No1 tennis player.

Manuka honey

Manuka honey

Manuka honey is produced by bees whose hives are placed near flowering wild manuka bushes that grow mostly on New Zealand’s North Island. Until 1981, when a New Zealand scientist found it had powerful anti-microbial properties, it was classed as a low-grade honey and used in cattle feed.

Tests carried out by the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), the scientific arm of Defra, the UK environment and food ministry, along with overseas studies suggest that much of the honey labelled as manuka has nothing to set it apart from ordinary honey – except the price. John Rawcliffe of the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA), which represents New Zealand’s producers, said: “There is potentially huge fraud. There are higher and ever-increasing volumes of honey labelled as manuka that are not manuka. More manuka is sold in the UK alone than the total actually produced. The same applies to China, America and so on.”

Jarred manuka honey

Jarred manuka honey

In October 2011 FERA tested five brands of manuka honey sold in the UK. Only one showed the “non-peroxide” anti-microbial activity that is unique to genuine manuka honey. In further tests of 23 manuka-labelled honeys, 11 failed the non-peroxide test.

Bigger issue: Flood of fake honey from China

Chinese honey has long had a poor reputation in the U.S., where – in 2001 – the Federal Trade Commission imposed stiff import tariffs or taxes to stop the Chinese from flooding the marketplace with dirt-cheap, heavily subsidized honey, which was forcing American beekeepers out of business.

In February of 2013 it was broadly reported that ‘Project Honeygate’ led to five arrests and millions in fines. A Canadian man is among five people nabbed in “Project Honeygate,” a U.S. Department of Homeland Security undercover investigation into an alleged honey importing scheme. Five people and two companies are accused of flooding the market with cheaper honey from China and avoiding $180 million in duties, American officials said Wednesday.

The Chinese honey was declared as other commodities and shipped through other countries to the United States to avoid anti-dumping duties, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.

Two of America’s biggest honey suppliers, Honey Solutions in Texas and Groeb Farms Inc. in Michigan, got caught in the “Honeygate” sting by the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and admitted they facilitated the import of millions of dollars worth of illegal honey that was mislabeled. The sting focused on companies who avoided anti-dumping duties of about 200% on Chinese honey by first shipping the Chinese honey to middlemen in other countries, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, to disguise its origin what is called “transshipping.”

Groeb Farms agreed to pay $2 million in fines and Honey Solutions agreed to $1 million. Both have set up programs to ensure the honey they buy in the future comes from legitimate sources. Groeb also replaced its management.

“The more expensive the product, the more people are motivated to cheapen production,” Jill Clark, vice president of sales and marketing at Dutch Gold Honey (makers of the plastic honey bears), told the Modern Farmer.

Part of the problem is that there are few safeguards in place to ensure honey is legitimate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has standards for honey content, but rarely enforces them, Modern Farmer says. A researcher at Texas A&M found that 75% of the honeys he sampled didn’t contain pollen – the only way to determine its origin.

FDAFDA recently stated that food companies and other producers who add sweeteners to honey have to alert consumers by labeling their products as a “blend.” Only manufactures that do not add sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners should label their products as pure “honey,” the FDA said in draft guidelines posted online.

In Europe, chief executive of Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Prof. Alan Reilly recently told the Irish Independent that honey and fish would be systematically surveyed in Ireland as part of new EU Food Fraud network attempts to tackle widespread organized crime in the European food chain. Honey from China has previously been mislabeled and passed off as Irish; and there have also been cases of “artificial honey” that is just sugar syrup going on sale in Europe, he said.