How do you test the authenticity of honey? Advice from a doctor passionate about beekeeping VIDEO

There are counterfeit honeys on the market, through several methods: diluting pure honey with sugar syrups or other sweeteners, mixing honey with other substances, or even falsifying labels to induce the idea that the honey is pure and natural.

Some simple tests, such as the crystallization test or the dilution test, can provide clues as to the authenticity of the honey.

Buzoian doctor Dragoș Gavrilă has been practicing beekeeping for over 40 years, and has over 240 families of bees. He warns that the local market is invaded by counterfeit imported honey. Since Romanian honey, the natural one, is no longer in great demand, beekeepers are recording losses.

Researchers confirm the fears of Romanian honey bee producers. There are laboratory products on the market that have the taste, smell, color and viscosity of honey, but do not retain any of the nutritional qualities of the sweetener produced naturally by bees.

“We can be easily fooled. Basically, color, viscosity, these characteristics can be arranged easily. But, practically, the benefits are different. It is not produced by the bee. Practically, in laboratories it is possible to produce, you have even seen synthetic meat. Already this food processing industry has come a long way”says Costel Vânătoru, horticulture researcher.

There are several methods you can use to test the authenticity of bee honey. One of them is the crystallization test. Genuine honey tends to crystallize over time, forming fine crystals or granules. If the honey you have at home never crystallizes or crystallizes very slowly, it could be a sign that it is not natural.

To distinguish quality honey from counterfeit, says doctor Dragoș Gavrilă, it is enough to pay attention to a few clues, such as the consistency and speed with which the honey leaves us with the sensation of sweet taste.

The Buzoian beekeeper reveals the simplest method to test the authenticity of the main beekeeping product.

“When you pour the honey from the spoon, this thread must be infinite, drip without interruption. It never ends with natural honey. We stand next to it, forget it, and it can be seen that it is infinite. It will never flow like that with a sugar syrup. Also, when you put honey in your mouth, it is transmitted directly, so that aroma immediately reaches the brain, you feel it. So, through the taste buds you felt it. There is a delay in sugar. You put it in your mouth and your brain doesn’t feel it right away.” beekeeper Dragoș Gavrilă explains.

Other methods of determining the quality of bee honey:

Add a spoonful of honey to a glass of water. Pure honey will remain intact or disperse slowly, while fake honey will dissolve or disperse quickly in water.

Heat a small amount of honey in a pot or microwave. Natural honey will caramelize slightly and become slightly darker.

Fake honey may foam or burn faster. Add a few drops of honey to absorbent paper. If the honey is fake, it will be absorbed quickly, leaving behind a wet stain. Pure honey will be absorbed more slowly or not at all.

Genuine honey has a distinct taste and rich aroma, specific to the flower from which it was collected.

If the honey you taste seems to be tasteless or has an unusual or artificial taste, it may be adulterated.

If in doubt about the authenticity of honey, it is always recommended to buy from trusted sources such as local beekeepers or health food stores and check the label for certifications of quality and origin.