"Large quantities of Chinese-produced honey are being 'dumped' illegally on the US market. To curb the importation of chemical-ridden honey, the US established high tariffs on honey imported from China. Taxes drive up prices, so big companies are essentially sneaking this honey in to keep their costs low. Honey from China is being rerouted through other countries and it's getting mislabeled throughout the process to hide its origin. Many of these Chinese producers are using non-FDA-approved chemicals on their bees, and similar to the drug trade, the producers 'cut' their honey with additives like high-fructose corn syrup, making it less pure but less expensive, since it contains a filler. At the end of the day, when laundered honey arrives in the US, it's no longer pure honey."
Why buy local, un-laundered honey?
Laundered honey is inexpensive and puts financial pressure on the local beekeeping industry. Supporting local beekeepers helps our ecosystem because they release farm-raised bees into select local plant life, which not only creates some incredible honey flavors, but it also helps pollinate the plants, which is beneficial to all local wildlife. Additionally, since bees are now endangered, it’s more vital than ever to support local bee farmers who are helping raise and maintain healthy bees.
There aren't any legal standard for marketing "pure honey", so we can't rule out the possibility that "pure honey" simply means "real honey" and thus the product may contain "real honey" in an unknown amount not necessarily equivalent to 100%.
Raw Honey is honey that hasn't been heated past pasteurization, which is usually around 95 degrees; this helps to retain the health benefits of honey. Some grocery store honey is pasteurized, or treated with heat to slow down the process of crystallisation so that they remain smooth and presentable on the shelves.
Honey that is labeled as organic according to the USDA was made from a bee farm that follows the organic livestock standards. These standards state that the hives must be free of chemicals or located far away from any present. Also, the flowers that the bees will be getting nectar from cannot be sprayed with chemicals and the bees cannot be given antibiotics. Organic honey is also strained and not heated beyond pasteurization.
A fairly new honey certification program was developed that can be useful to look for as well: http://www.truesourcehoney.com/
Bottom line: Honey is a great natural sweetener, and if purchased thoughtfully, can help support local beekeepers and provide benefits to the local ecosystem!
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