For years, I’d heard stories about supermarket honey being “fake,” but I didn’t quite grasp what that meant. I mean, I understood what “fake” syrup is—loaded with corn syrup and artificial flavors, colorings, ingredients —but honey? Whenever I checked the ingredients on supermarket honey, it simply said “honey,” so how could it be fake?
Digging Deeper
Curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to dig deeper. What I uncovered was eye-opening. Many brands, in an effort to cut costs, add cheap sweeteners like corn syrup, other sugars or artificial ingredients but still label it as “pure honey.” Even worse, much of the honey on supermarket shelves is so heavily filtered that it loses one of its key elements—bee pollen. Pollen not only offers incredible health benefits, but it also serves as a fingerprint that traces honey back to its source. By removing the pollen, producers can mask poor quality honey, particularly from countries where contamination with antibiotics and heavy metals is a concern.
Declining Global Honey Production and Rising Consumption
Through my research, I also discovered that while global honey consumption has surged—thanks to growing awareness of honey's health benefits and population growth — global honey production has been declining. Climate change, pesticide use, and habitat destruction are reducing bee populations, directly impacting the amount of honey that can be harvested.
So, Where is All the Extra Honey Coming From?
This raised a critical question: if honey production is down but consumption is up, then where is all the extra honey coming from? Unfortunately, a lot of it comes from adulterated or fraudulent honey. Some producers dilute honey with sugar syrups or process it so heavily that it’s barely recognizable. To make honey more fluid and easier to bottle, they often heat it, which destroys many of its natural enzymes, antioxidants, and beneficial compounds. The honey may look like honey, but it has lost much of its original nutritional value and complexity. This is especially common with honey imported from countries where regulations are more relaxed, making honey fraud a global concern. So, when we buy honey, we may not be getting the natural, unadulterated product we think we are.
Finally, learning about ultrafiltration—where honey is processed so aggressively that it loses almost all of its natural essence—was a turning point for me. It became clear that much of the honey in stores including both online and supermarket is far from natural. That’s when I started seeking out raw, unfiltered, natural honey, and the difference in flavor and quality was remarkable.
Conclusion: Is Supermarket Honey Fake?
So, is supermarket honey fake? Not always. But in many cases, the honey we see on store shelves may not be as pure as we believe. It may be adulterated with sweeteners or processed so heavily that it loses much of its nutritional value and distinct characteristics. One key difference between supermarket honey and raw, natural honey is the consistency. In supermarkets, honey is often mass-produced and ultra-filtered to create a uniform look, texture and flow, so every jar on the shelf appears the same. This process strips away the natural variation found in raw honey.
In reality, every batch of raw honey is unique. The color, taste, and texture can vary depending on the flowers the bees visited, the season, and the region where the honey was produced. This natural diversity is part of what makes raw honey special. Unfortunately, mass-produced honey often lacks this variety, offering a standardized product that may not capture the full complexity and richness of true, unfiltered honey.
To ensure you’re getting real natural honey, consider seeking out raw, unheated, unaltered honey from trusted, transparent brands that value quality over quantity. You’ll not only taste the difference but also enjoy the full range of health benefits that come with honey in its most natural state.
If you have any other honey-related questions or want to explore more ways to enjoy honey, feel free to reach out! 🐝🍯
I took the above picture during our last harvesting season. Holding a nice honeycomb full of honey and our happy bees.
