How To Spot If Honey Is Fake Or Not?

Honey is packed with nutrients and is really delicious to eat. It can be easily added to any diet as a topping, say for fruit salads, ice-creams or as a spread. But are you aware that the jars of this tasty golden liquid could sometimes not be honey at all but syrup that tastes exactly like honey?

In order to boost profits, some producers of honey might dilute their product with adulterants such as flour, sand, and chalk or even syrup or molasses. Listed below are a few simple tips that can help you determine whether the product you are buying is genuine.

1. Read the label: In addition to buying well-known and reputed brands of honey, ensure that you check the label for the logo and brand name. This will guarantee that the jar you pickup is not only good quality but also genuine. The label on the jar should list only one ingredient, honey, no additives, or flavourings.
2. The warm water test: Add a spoon of honey to a glass of warm water. If the honey is pure when you stir this mixture the honey will sink to the bottom of the glass as a lump or stick to the spoon. If the honey is adulterated with any kind of syrup it will dissolve in the water.
3. The thumb test: Put a drop of honey on your thumb. If it spreads or dips then it is not pure. Pure honey is thick and would remain on your thumb.
4. The flame test: Dip a dry matchstick in honey, then strike the matchbox. If the matchstick lights with ease and continues to burn then the honey is pure. Due to the moisture present in adulterants, a matchstick dipped in fake honey will not light easily.
5. The foam test: Add 2-3 drops of vinegar essence to the honey and mix well. If it becomes foamy after 2-3 minutes then the product you have purchased is not pure.
6. The tissue paper test: Put a drop of honey on a piece of tissue paper, if it gets absorbed and leaves a wet or water mark on the paper then it is adulterated.

You might sometimes be able to spot fake honey by its taste and smell, though not always. Honey being a natural product and got from the nectar of different flowers it might not always taste the same. It would also be difficult to taste the product before you buy it if it comes in a sealed bottle or jar. Therefore, it might be beneficial to buy branded or organic products to ensure that the honey you buy is pure.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!