What Makes Organic Honey Different?

It’s pretty obvious to me that organic honey is fast gaining a strong foothold in the honey market. When I first saw it on the shelves and its big price tag during my grocery shopping, I always wondered what it was and how different it was from the rest of honey varieties. It was only later that I found out that for honey to be certified organic, the manufacturer has to meet a set of very stringent organic standards and conditions during the honey production (set by a organic agriculture certification body), which include source of the nectar, honey bees foraging area, bees management, honey extracting process, transportation, processing temperature, and packaging materials. Honey that claims to be organic is also tested to guarantee that it does not contain any residues of pesticides or environmental pollutants. Farming of organic honey has to meet rigorous and extensive monitoring and testing criteria of the certification body, for instance, the documentation of, and consultation with every land user within a five kilometer radius of the organic hives to ensure they are free of chemical residue; regular analysis and testing of honey samples; and hives have to be proven free of non-organic honey, sugar and antibiotics. Other than the reason that organic honey is a healthier choice, some ardent consumers of organic foods also feel that honey produced by organic farmers has a more superior taste than conventionally produced honey, and hence are more ready to pay for the extra cost. I personally also consume such honey but so far could not tell any difference in terms of taste superiority.

I have been warned that some honey which has been packaged and proclaimed as organic may not be truly organic. It takes a lot of resources to ensure against contamination, either by wind or by bee travel, of the bees’ forage by non-organic pollen. Many beekeepers find it unfeasible for them to keep up with the stringent organic guidelines specified by the government. So, to be totally assured that I am paying for good quality honey that is really worth, I look out on the honey bottle for certain organic standards and accreditation such as the certification of IFOAM, the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic movement.