Dr. Lyudmila Satyukova, Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary, Sanitary and Biosafety Expertise, points out that crystallization is the main characteristic of mature natural honey.
According to her, honey remains one of the products most susceptible to adulteration, as adulterated honey may be a poor imitation of the natural product, such as sugar syrup, or it may be natural honey that has been processed to improve its appearance and increase its appeal to the consumer.
She explained that the simplest way to increase the amount of honey is to add sugar substitutes, such as beetroot or cane sugar, or starch syrup, and then heat the mixture until it becomes homogeneous.
Another method of cheating is "reviving" last year's honey. Natural, ripe honey becomes denser and crystallizes over time, but it can be heated to return to a liquid state and sold as fresh honey.
The expert pointed out that adulteration may also include changing the density and weight of honey, where chalk powder may be used to mimic the natural granular texture, while starch or flour is added to thicken the very runny syrup.
"Mature honey becomes thicker and firmer over time, and this is one of the key characteristics of natural honey. To restore its liquid consistency and sell it as fresh honey, the old honey is heated."
According to her, it is almost impossible to determine the authenticity of honey based solely on its appearance, noting that its smooth flow when stirred with a spoon or its attractive amber sheen are not conclusive proof of its quality.
The expert stressed that accurate verification of honey quality is only done in the laboratory, where specialists examine the composition of pollen grains, the level of diastase enzyme, the concentration of hydroxymethylfurfural, and the percentage of water. These are indicators that help determine the source of the product, the degree to which it has been exposed to heating, and whether it has been diluted or has become exposed to fermentation.
She explained, "The diastase enzyme is an enzyme secreted by the pharyngeal glands of bees to help break down the complex sugars found in nectar. Its quantity depends on the strength of the beehive, the degree of honey ripeness, and its storage conditions. One of the most important characteristics of diastase is that it is quickly destroyed when honey is exposed to heat."
