Processing and Packaging

Processing and Packaging#

1 . What are some of the ways honey can be produced and packaged?

  • Extracted liquid honey that has been removed from the frames and bottled. The flowers from which bees gather nectar determine color, flavor, and aroma.

  • Comb honey – a frame of capped honey

  • Cut comb honey – comb honey cut into sections

  • Chunk honey – comb honey with extracted honey usually packaged in a jar.

  • Crystallized honey

  • Cream honey

  • Honey taffy

2 . What is “chunk” honey?

A combination of comb honey and extracted honey.

3 . Describe how the production of comb honey is different from the production of extracted honey.

Use extra thin beeswax to start. Produced exclusively in shallow supers. Foundation has no wires. Remove as soon as frame is filled to prevent darkening the face of the comb.

4 . Why do some beekeepers advocate pasteurizing honey?

Honey contains yeasts that cause fermentation when the moisture content is over 18.6-19%. These yeasts can be killed by heating honey to 160 degrees for a short time. Heating honey will also cause the delay of granulation by dissolving the small crystals present in raw honey which form nidus for granulation. Heating also thins the honey which makes it easier to filter the honey.

5 . So why not pasteurize honey? What are the disadvantages of heating honey?

Because heating alters the taste and health benefits of honey. Honey contains enzymes that remain stable to 120 degrees. The higher the heat, the more the degrading of enzymes. Most enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 160 degrees and are also destroyed in a microwave oven.

6 . Should we filter honey? Why or why not?

Honey is commonly coarsely filtered to remove sugar crystals, air bubbles, particles of beeswax and other debris (parts of honeybee anatomy). Filtering makes honey bright and clear and gives honey a longer shelf life without granulation and better appearance. Ultra or fine filtering of honey removes much of what makes raw honey healthy, including pollen, beeswax and propolis.

7 . How should honey be stored?

Honey should be stored in glass, stainless steel or food grade plastic. Honey will absorb various metals from non-food grade plastics like copper, iron, tin, aluminum and should be avoided. Honey kept in a freezer will not deteriorate or granulate if stored below 30 degrees.

8 . What are some of the uses of beeswax?

  • Making candles

  • Foundation for bee hives

  • Cosmetics, lotions, lip balms

  • Crafts

  • Waterproofing (military canvas)

  • Insulation for wires in missiles (WWII)

9 . What can pollen be used for?

Used in diet to prevent allergies or for other health benefits.

10 . Can propolis be used for anything?

Bees collect propolis from plant resins. Propolis has antioxidant, antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. There is anecdotal reports that propolis can be used as a burn or wound dressing and for stomach issues.

11 . Does bee venom have any use?

Useful for the prevention of sting hypersensitivity in individuals allergic to bee stings. There is a popular movement in Eastern Europe and China in “apitherapy”. Venom is advocated for arthritis and multiple sclerosis and nervous system disorders.

12 . Is there any use for royal jelly?

Royal jelly has been added to cosmetics as a beauty treatment but no research to attest to its use. It is popular use in China for multiple conditions.

13 . What is mead?

Mead is a fermented beverage traditionally made from honey, water and a yeast or bacterial culture. Sometimes called “the drink of the gods,” mead has been produced and consumed across the world for thousands of years.

14 . According to the FDA, what information needs to be included on the honey label?

  • The “common” name of the product. The word “honey” must be visible on the label. The name of a plant or blossom may be used if it is the primary floral source for the honey.

  • Net weight - the net weight of your product (excluding packaging), both in pounds/ounces and in metric weight (grams) must be included in the lower third of your front label panel in easy-to-read type

  • Ingredients - single-ingredient products (such as honey) do not have to name that single ingredient when already used in the common or usual name on the front panel. However, if there are ingredients other than honey, you must list them in an ingredient statement.

  • Country of origin - honey packers must include conspicuous and indelible labeling, in English, naming the country of origin of all imported products, regardless of whether the product labeling uses approved USDA marks or grade statements Contact information - the label must let consumers know who put the product on the market and how to contact that person. If space permits include a full address and telephone number. The information must be in a type size that is at least 1/16 of an inch tall.