# store honey isnt honey artical



## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

I run my honey throw a 400 and sometime a 200 micron filter from Mann Lake Ltd. Does this mean there's no pollen in it?

Thank you,

Mike


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## JohnAllen (Jul 2, 2010)

Pollen grains are generally smaller than 200 microns so your strainer won't catch many.


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

A magnifying glass will show pretty conclusively that there is still stuff in there. Pollen ranges from 6 micrometers to more than 100 micrometers, but I'm not sure how much more. I use the same screens.


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

Ultrafiltration can filter particles down to sub micron dimensions. Millipore sells filters that can filter out viruses for example.

Heck, I use a nylon like material, Polyclar 10, or PVPP, as part of my procedure for isolating nucleic acids from honey.

PVPP is also great for removing traces of pesticides as well.

In fact, PVPP can be used as a matrix for binding and releasing pesticides in assays. It's also cheap.

So, you have to ask: if they have the know-how to filter out pollen, what else are they trying to filter out? They're not restricted to pollen with the type of gear involved.

High pressure filtration equipment can filter out almost anything.


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

Catch the buzz put out an article today that pretty much bebunked the first one


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

In case you would like the link to that Buzz Article.

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2011.11.08.12.46.archive.html


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## WLC (Feb 7, 2010)

So, they're admitting that there's no pollen in certain brands of honey because it has been filtered. 

So, is it still honey?

If not, what do you call it?


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

> BOYNTON: Tests show that most store honey isn’t honey - well he sampled some honey and tested it and it didn’t have pollen but that’s a normal process of filtration methods that are used in this country but for the most part honey that’s on the shelves is honey. And just because it doesn’t have pollen in it doesn’t mean it’s not honey.


They claim it is still honey even though most honeys in grocery stores lack pollen. Hmmmmmm...


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## concrete-bees (Jun 20, 2009)

it maybe honey but without pollen - they cant find a point of orgin .... so china removes all trace of china pollen so that they can still sell it to us without questions - 
so if the Goverment would be smart about this and say no to ultra-filtered honey - then we would end the black market honey from china


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## beekeeper_sd (Oct 30, 2008)

So does this article mean that the honey we produce and sell to one of the companies listed is not really honey? Wonder if our bees know they're not making honey? 

Did they check for the antibiotics that China has been contaminating their honey with? Is that still honey?


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## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Since there is no legal definition, description of the product honey , rgardless if it contains pollen or not it is still honey in north america, however in Europe if it contains pollen from a GMO plant it must state that on the label it contains a GMO product


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

berkshire bee said:


> Catch the buzz put out an article today that pretty much bebunked the first one


I'm not sure that it 'debunked' the first article. I would say it disagreed.
Evidently it's a matter of opinion. The Boynton person says a lack of pollen doesn't mean it isn't honey. On the other hand, the Codex commission's standard says different. 

http://home.ezezine.com/1636/1636-2011.11.08.12.46.archive.html
BOYNTON: Tests show that most store honey isn’t honey - well he sampled some honey and tested it and it didn’t have pollen but that’s a normal process of filtration methods that are used in this country but for the most part honey that’s on the shelves is honey. And just because it doesn’t have pollen in it doesn’t mean it’s not honey. 

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/
The Codex commission's Standard for Honey, which sets principles for the international trade in food, has ruled that "No pollen or constituent particular to honey may be removed except where this is unavoidable in the removal of foreign matter. . ." It even suggested what size mesh to use (not smaller than 0.2mm or 200 micron) to filter out unwanted debris -- bits of wax and wood from the frames, and parts of bees -- but retain 95 percent of all the pollen.


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## JohnAllen (Jul 2, 2010)

beemandan said:


> The Boynton person says a lack of pollen doesn't mean it isn't honey. On the other hand, the Codex commission's standard says different.


The Codex Standard also goes on to say that "Honey which has been filtered in such a way as to result in the significant removal of pollen shall be designated filtered honey."

It seems reasonable to me to have a rule saying that honey sold in stores can be either filtered or unfiltered as long as the label specifies which is which. Let the consumer make the choice.

www.codexalimentarius.net/download/standards/310/cxs_012e.pdf


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## soupcan (Jan 2, 2005)

AND we need more laws in this country why again????
AND we need to protect who from what again???
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

The Chinese are running the honey under pressure through ceramic filters to remove the pollen. As someone else said they are doing it to hide country of origin, to make it easier to get the black market honey into other countries.


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