Honey that's sold in the comb is unadulterated.
Thanks to strict industry standards and regulation by the Food and Drug Administration, consumers can be confident that most of the honey they purchase from supermarkets is genuine and pure. However, because corn syrup has many of the same properties as honey and costs significantly less, there are still dishonest sellers who attempt to sell "honey" that consists of up to 90 percent corn syrup. There's no sure-fire way to spot adulterated honey with the naked eye, but if you suspect you've purchased adulterated honey and the product meets one or more specific characteristics, you can have it tested for adulteration by the American Beekeeping Federation.
Instructions
1. Taste the honey. Honey that has been adulterated may be extremely sweet with little else in the way of flavor. Depending on how the honey has been adulterated, it may have a molasses flavor.
2. Look for color that is either too light or too dark to be natural honey.
3. Compare the price to that of other brands. Since corn syrup is much less expensive than honey to manufacture, it can be mixed with a small portion of real honey and sold at a lower price for a larger profit.
4. Note the packaging. In the past, seized adulterated honey has been packaged cheaply in Mason jars with "rustic" labeling, according to the Entomology and Nematology Department of the University of Florida. Though it's not proof of adulteration, cheap packaging in combination with consistently low prices should raise a red flag.
Tags: adulterated honey, corn syrup, been adulterated, honey been, Honey that
