Classification and types of honey
Honey is classified by its floral source. Divisions are made by the packaging and processing. Regional honeys are also identified. In the US, honey is also graded
by color and optical density by USDA standards. It's graded on the Pfund scale, which ranges from 0 for "water white". Honey to more than 114 for "dark amber" honey.
Honeydew honey
Bees can take honeydew instead of nectar. Honeydew is the sweet secretions of aphids or other plant-sap-sucking insects. Honeydew honey is very dark brown, it has the
rich fragrance of stewed fruit or fig jam. It is less sweet than nectar honey. Honeydew-based honeys are from the Black Forest in Germany are some regions in Bulgaria,
Tara in Serbia, and Northern California in the United States. In Greece, pine honey, a type of honeydew honey, is 60–65% of honey production. Honeydew honey is
popular in some areas. But, in other areas, beekeepers struggle to sell it due to its stronger flavor.
The production of honeydew honey has some complications and dangers. This honey has much more indigestibles than light floral honeys. So, causing dysentery to the
bees, resulting in the death of colonies in areas with cold winters. Good beekeeping management requires the removal of honeydew before winter in colder areas. Bees
collect honeydew but need protein supplements. Honeydew lacks protein-rich pollen gathered from flowers.
Honeydew honey is sometimes called "myelate".
Polyfloral
Polyfloral honey, also called wildflower honey, comes from the nectar of many types of flowers. Its taste may vary each year and the aroma and the flavor can be more
or less intense, depending on which flowers are blooming.
Floral source
Generally, honey is classified by the floral source of the nectar from which it was made. Honeys can be from specific types of flower nectars or can be blended after
collection. The pollen in honey is traceable to floral source and thus region of origin. The rheological and melissopalynological one can use the properties of
honey to identify the major plant nectar source used in its production.
Blended
Most honey for sale is a blend. It includes two or more honeys that differ in floral source, color, flavor, density, or origin.
Monofloral
One type of flower makes monofloral honey from its nectar. Monofloral honeys have distinctive flavors and colors because of differences between their main nectar
sources. Beekeepers make monofloral honey by keeping beehives where the bees have access to only one type of flower. In practice a small proportion of any
monofloral
honey will be from other flower types. Typical examples of North American monofloral The honeys are clover, orange blossom, and sage. They are also tupelo,
buckwheat, fireweed, mesquite, and sourwood. , they are cherry and blueberry. Some typical European examples include thyme, They include thistle, heather, acacia, and
dandelion. Also, sunflower, lavender, and honeysuckle. And lime and chestnut trees. [citation needed]. In North Africa (like Egypt), For example, there is clover,
cotton, and citrus (orange blossoms). But, the special plants of Australia make many unique honeys. The most popular types are: yellow box, blue gum, ironbark,
bush mallee, Tasmanian leatherwood, and macadamia.
Classification by packaging and processing
Indicators of quality
You can distinguish high-quality honey by its fragrance, taste, and consistency. Ripe, collected, high-quality honey at 20 °C (68 °F) should flow.
from a knife in a straight stream, without breaking. After falling, the honey should form a bead. The honey, when poured, should form small, temporary layers that
disappear , indicating high viscosity. If not, it indicates honey with excessive water content of over 20%, not suitable for long-term preservation.
In jars, fresh honey should appear as a pure, consistent fluid, and should not set in layers. Within a few weeks to a few months of extraction, many varieties
of honey crystallize into a cream-colored solid. Some varieties of honey, including tupelo, acacia, and sage, crystallize less . You may heat honey during bottling at
temperatures of 40–49 °C (104–120 °F) to delay or inhibit crystallization. A change in enzyme levels indicates overheating, for example, you can determine diastase
activity with the Schade or the Phadebas methods. A fluffy film on the surface of the honey (like a white foam), or marble-colored air bubbles trapped during bottling
cause it. They form on a container's sides.
A 2008 Italian study found that NMR can tell types of honey apart. It can also find the area where the production took place. The location produced it. Researchers
identified differences in acacia and polyfloral honeys. They did this by the differing amounts of fructose and sucrose as well as differing levels of aromatic
amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine. This ability allows greater ease of selecting compatible stocks.
Usually, people bottle honey as a liquid, but they sell it in other forms. Many ways exist for processing it.
Crystallized honey
Crystallized honey occurs when some glucose has crystallized from the liquid. It has crystallized as the monohydrate. It is also called "granulated honey."
or "candied honey". You can make crystallized honey liquid by warming it. The same is true for purchased crystallized honey.
Creamed honey
Creamed honey has many names. It is also called whipped honey, spun honey, churned honey, and honey fondant. In the UK, people call it
set honey. It has processed to control crystallization. Creamed honey has many small crystals. They stop larger crystals from forming in unprocessed honey.
The processing also produces a honey with a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Raw honey
Raw honey is as it exists in the beehive. One obtains it by extracting, settling,or straining. Someone has made honey without adding heat." Raw honey contains
some pollen. It may have small wax particles. It is often labeled as raw honey,not "processed."
Filtered Honey
Honey of any type undergoes extensive filtering. It has lost most or all the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, and other materials it has.The removal of
impurities has heated honey to 66–77 °C (150–170 °F) to pass through the filter. The filtered honey is very clear and will not harden as fast. This makes it the
preferred by supermarkets. The most common method adds diatomaceous earth to honey. He heats it to 60 °C (140 °F) and passes it through filter paper or canvas.
This continues until a filter cake of diatomaceous earth builds up on the filter.
Honey Decorations
People make honey decoctions from honey or its byproducts. They dissolve in water and are then reduced by boiling. Other ingredients may Add it then.
(For example, abbamele has added citrus.) The resulting product may be like molasses.
Pasteurized honey
Heating honey to 72 °C (161 °F) or higher pasteurizes it. Pasteurization destroys yeast cells. It also melts honey's microcrystals. This delays the start of
crystallization. But excessive heat exposure also results in product. This causes deterioration. It raises the level of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).
It lowers enzyme activity (e.g., diastase). Heat also darkens the honey and affects taste and fragrance.
Strained Honey
A mesh has passed strained honey to remove particulate material. This material includes pieces of wax and propolis. It also has other defects, but not pollen
or minerals or enzymes.
Ultrasonicated honey
Ultrasonication has processed ultrasonicated honey, which is a nonthermal processing alternative for honey. When ultrasonication exposes honey, most of the yeast.
Cells destroy themselves. The cells that survive sonication die. This reduces their ability to grow and slows honey fermentation a lot. Ultrasonication also eliminates
existing crystals and inhibits further crystallization in honey. aided liquefaction can work at. lower temperatures around 35 °C (95 °F) and can reduce liquefaction
time to less than 30 seconds.
Baker's honey
Baker's honey is not normal honey. The food or drink tastes or smells "foreign,"
indicating fermentation or overheating. It is generally used as an ingredient in food processing. Labeling baker's honey has extra requirements.
Retailers may not label the product for sale as "honey".
Dried Honey
Drying honey removes its moisture. This creates solid, nonstick granules. This process may or may not include the use of drying. Bakers use dried honey with
anticaking agents in baked goods and to garnish desserts.
Comb honey
Comb honey is still in the honeybees' wax comb. Beekeepers collect it in honey supers using standard wooden
frames. Collect the frames and the...The comb cuts into chunks before packaging. A simpler option is to use plastic rings or cartridges. This avoids the labor of the
other method. They do not need manual labor cutting of the comb, and speed packaging. Comb honey harvested in the traditional manner is also referred to as "cut-comb
honey".
Chunk Honey
Wide-mouthed containers pack chunk honey. It consists of one or more pieces of comb honey in liquid honey.
Grading
Countries have differing standards for grading honey. following USDA standards, honey producers in the US grade their honey. USDA offers inspection....and grading.
You can do it online (in-plant) or through lot inspection. Upon application, you can do it for a fee." Graders base the quality of honey on many factors, including
water content, flavor and aroma, absence of defects, and clarity. Honey is also classified by color, though it is not a factor in the grading scale.
The honey grade scale is:
Grade A is ≥ 81.4%. It is good. It has a normal flavor and aroma for the main floral source. Or, if blended, it has a good flavor for the mix of floral sources.
The honey is free from caramelized or bad flavors. These come from fermentation, smoke, chemicals, or other causes. The only exception is the predominant floral
source"
Absence of defects
It's free. It contains almost no defects. The defects do not affect the product's appearance or edibility.
Clarity
The syrup may contain air bubbles. These do not much change its look. It may also contain a few pollen grains or other fine particles.
The product contains particles of suspended material. These particles divide and do not affect the appearance of the product.
Nutrition
One hundred grams of honey has about 1,270 kJ (304 kcal) of energy. It has no essential nutrients. It is 17% water and 82% sugars, carbohydrates, honey has low
content of fat, dietary fiber, and protein.
Sugar profile
Honey is a mix of sugars and other carbohydrates. It is fructose (about 38%) and glucose (about 32%). The remaining sugars include maltose and sucrose.
It also has other complex carbs. Its glycemic index ranges from 31 to 78, depending on the type. The mix of carbs gives it its color, smell, and taste.
any batch of honey depend on the flowers foraged by bees that produced the honey.
Medical use and research
Cough
The Cochrane review found no strong evidence. It was about using honey for chronic and acute coughs. The review covered treating children.
They concluded with little evidence. It showed that honey is not better than no treatment, diphenhydramine, or placebo. These treatments all relieve coughing. This
comes from a 2018 review. Honey does It does not seem to work better than dextromethorphan at relieving children's coughing. Other reviews also support using honey
to treat children.
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency recommends avoiding giving over-the-counter cough and cold medication to children under
six. It suggests "a homemade remedy with honey and lemon is likely to be as useful and safer to take." But, it warns against giving honey.
Honey is not safe for babies because of the risk of infant botulism. The World Health Organization recommends honey for treating coughs and sore throats.
It is for children. No reason exists to think it is less effective than a commercial remedy.
Wounds and burns
Honey is a folk treatment for burns and other skin injuries. Early signs suggest that it speeds the healing of partial burns. They heal 4–5 days faster.
It heals faster with fewer issues than antiseptic. The evidence for the use of honey in other wound treatments is of low quality. We cannot draw firm conclusions.
It does not support using honey products for treating ulcers. These ulcers can be from venous stasis or ingrown toenails. Several medical-grade honey products are fine.
approved by the FDA for use in treating minor wounds and burns.
Antibiotic
People in traditional and herbal medicine have long used honey. They use it as a topical antibiotic. Its antibacterial effects were first
The Dutch scientist Bernardus Adrianus van Ketel showed this in 1892. Many studies since have shown that honey fights many types of bacteria.
It has antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. But, the strength varies between different honeys. Due to
The last few decades have seen many antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This has renewed interest in researching the antibacterial properties of
Honey is being studied for its potential as an antibiotic. The components under research include methylglyoxal, hydrogen peroxide, and royalisin. Royalisin is also
called honeybee defensin-1.
Botulism
Infants can develop botulism after consuming honey contaminated with Clostridium botulinum endospores.
Infantile botulism shows geographical variation. Between 1976 and 2006, the UK reported only six cases, but the US has much higher rates. The rate is 1.9 per 100,000
live births. 47.2% are in California. While honey's risk to infant health is small, it's not recommended to take it. Most people consider giving honey safe after a
child is one year old.
Other
Use honey for known or suspected button cell battery ingestions. It is a temporary way to reduce the risk and severity of the problem. Injury to the esophagus
caused by the battery before its removal.
No evidence shows honey helps treat cancer. But, honey may ease side effects of radiation or chemo. chemotherapy used to
treat cancer.
Some people say you should eat honey to treat seasonal allergies from pollen. But, the science to back this claim is unclear.
Honey is generally considered ineffective for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.
The majority of calories in honey are from fructose. When added to a normal diet, fructose causes weight gain. But, when it
Substituting it for other carbs of equal energy had no effect on body weight.
Honey has a mild laxative effect. Researchers have noted that this can help with constipation and bloating.
Health hazards
Honey is usually safe in typical food amounts. But, it may have various, potential adverse effects or interactions. This can happen from overeating, diseases,
or drugs. They come from eating too much. For example, anxiety or insomnia. Honey consumption did not show any symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, or hyperactivity.
One study found this occurrence in about 10% of children. Another study found that this compares to placebo. Honey may worsen allergies and high blood sugar
(as in diabetes) or anticoagulants used to control bleeding, among other clinical conditions.
People with a weakened immune system may be at risk. They could get a bacterial or fungal infection from eating honey.
Toxic honey
Main articles: Mad honey and Bees and toxic chemicals § Toxic honey
Eating honey containing grayanotoxins causes Mad honey intoxication. Bees make the honey. They get the nectar from rhododendrons, mountain laurels, and sheep laurel.
and azaleas may cause honey intoxication. Symptoms include dizziness, weakness, excessive perspiration, nausea, and vomiting. Less , low blood pressure,
Shocks, irregular heart rhythms, and convulsions may occur. Rarely, they result in death. Honey intoxication is more likely when using "natural"
unprocessed honey and honey from farmers who may have a small number of hives. Many believe that commercial processing, which pools honey from many sources, is beneficial to dilute any toxins.
Toxic honey can also result when bees are near tutu bushes (Coriaria arborea). The vine hopper insect (Scolypopa australis) is to blame. Both occur everywhere.
New Zealand. Bees gather honeydew produced by the vine hopper insects feeding on the tutu plant. This introduces the poison tutin into honey. Only a few
Areas in New Zealand produce toxic honey. These areas include the Coromandel Peninsula. They also include the Eastern Bay of Plenty Region and the Marlborough Sounds.
Symptoms of tutin Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, delirium, and giddiness. There is also more excitability, stupor, coma, and violent convulsions. This
increases the risk of tutin poisoning. Humans should not eat honey taken from feral hives in the risk areas of New Zealand. Since December 2001, New Zealand has
required beekeepers to reduce The beekeepers reduce the risk of making toxic honey. They do this by watching tutu, vine hopper, and foraging conditions. They track within 3 km (2 mi) of their apiary. Intoxication is rarely dangerous.
Folk medicine
People in myths and folk medicine used honey both by mouth and on the skin. Doctors used it to treat many ailments. These included stomach issues, ulcers, skin wounds,
and burns. By ancient Greeks and Egyptians, and in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine.
Nutrition
Honey is a syrup made of many simple sugars, mostly fructose and glucose. Wild honey also has traces of bee larvae. They add fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
In many places, honey is the main food for the organisms that eat it. Some suggest that honey's energy helped humans evolve big brains. Big brains are costly.
Honey also fights germs.
Mellivory by humans
Food
Throughout its history, people have used honey in cooking, baking, and confections. It is also used as a bread spread and to flavor drinks.
such as tea, and as a sweetener in some commercial beverages.
Honey has a lot of energy. It's an important food for almost all hunter-gatherer cultures in warm climates. The Hadza people value it. Honey is their favorite food.
In Africa, honey hunters have a mutualistic relationship with some honeyguide birds.
Traditional medicine
Honey is a folk treatment for burns and other skin injuries. Preliminary evidence suggests that it aids in the healing of partial thickness burns.It heals infections
4–5 days faster than other dressings. Some evidence suggests that honey also speeds healing. It reduces complications. Adverse events are rarer with honey than with
antiseptic and gauze. This is according to a study. Traditional and herbal practitioners have long used honey as a topical antibiotic.
People in myths and folk medicine used honey both and. It treated many ailments, including stomach issues, ulcers, and skin wounds. ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it for burns. It's also in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. They use honey in apitherapy, an alternative medicine.