Raw Honey Guide: How to Tell If It’s Raw Honey

It is very hard to tell the difference between raw honey and processed honey.  If the honey is in a clear container, you can do the following:

Look at the top of the honey for a thin layer of froth with some very small grains.  These are particulates like pollen, propolis and wax that went through the filter but have now floated to the top because they have a lower density than the honey. The froth can form on the top of Active honey after the packing process, as a small amount of agitation and mild heating can stimulate a little bit of peroxide production.

Turn the container upside down and watch how the honey flows to the bottom of the container. Raw honey from Western Australia will be very thick and flow slowly.  Processed honey can be more runny if water is added during the pasteurisation and ultra-filtration process.

It is even difficult now to detect fake honey from pure honey to the extent that it is estimated that up to one-third of all honey sold in the world is a fake product, mostly made in China.

The best way to ensure you buy good, raw honey is to only deal with a reputable supplier like Forest Fresh, or any other small supplier with very close links to beekeepers. 

Is Pure Honey and Raw Honey the Same Thing?

Is there a difference between raw and pure honey? Is raw honey better than pure honey?

With all the marketing-speak people are exposed to, it’s easy to get carried away and become confused over the terms used by honey producers or brands.

However, some might think there isn’t any difference between raw honey and pure honey because they assume they are one and the same thing.

‘Pure’ simply means that there are no natural or artificial additives in the product, such as colourants or flavourings. It does not say anything about whether the honey is raw or pasteurised, so pure honey may be used to refer to raw or regular honey.

But if a honey product is called ‘unfiltered honey’ or ‘unprocessed honey’, it should refer to raw honey. That’s the honey the way bees made it, kept in a jar for your convenience.

Is There a Difference Between Raw Honey and Natural Honey?

Yes there is.  As long as the “honey” is made by bees it can be called natural honey. There are many honey producers in the world who feed their bees with a sugar solution made to look like nectar.  The bees will convert this syrup into a type of honey, but of course it will not contain any of the phytochemicals or minerals in nectar that give honey its colour and flavour.  Long-term feeding of sugar syrup is also very bad for the bees, as they rely on these chemicals for their good health.

There is also a very cheap product, produced in some countries, that can be called “natural honey”. This product is made by force feeding sugar syrup to bees, then extracting the liquid before it has ripened to honey, starving the bees and forcing them to collect more syrup. The extracted liquid is then dehydrated to about 20% moisture in a factory before being sold as natural honey that can be blended with genuine honey to produce a cheap supermarket grade product.  Cheap “natural honey” from a supermarket that is made from “local and imported products”, may well be made from this.

Is There a Difference Between Raw Honey and Organic Honey?

Yes there is, but it is a bit confusing.

In general, all certified organic honey is raw, but not all raw honey can be organic. Raw honey can be contaminated by chemicals, whereas organic honey can’t.

The experienced beekeepers that supply Forest Fresh all produce raw honey, which would qualify as organic because it is collected from within native forests or rangelands and extracted using low temperature methods. These beekeepers transport their hives into the forest for a honey flow, then subsequently move to another forest site when the flora at the first stops flowering. However, few of our beekeepers are certified as it is not worth the expense.

There is also a large number of semi- or non-commercial beekeepers who keep their bees permanently at an urban or semi-rural site.  The honey they produce can be called raw if it is extracted at low temperature, but it can’t be organic as it is likely contaminated by herbicides, pesticides or other chemicals that are commonly used by gardeners or others in these environments.  Certified Organic bee sites must be more than five kilometers from any type of agricultural or industrial activities.

Consumers looking for good raw honey should only buy from experienced and reputable suppliers like Forest Fresh who have a deep knowledge of the local apiary industry and know how to select the best pure, raw and natural honey from the best beekeepers.