Shock finding: More than 75 percent of all 'honey' sold in grocery stores contains no honey at a

Originally posted by alfa1

I've learned not to believe anything written at naturalnews.com.
There have been way too many threads on ATS where the naturalnews story has just turned out to be fearmongering lies.
Especially by Ethan Huff.

Is there any other source to back up this claim?

edit on 9-11-2011 by alfa1 because: (no reason given)

www.foodsafetynews.com...

*deleted* until the story is proven true.

reply to post by seachange

A private group did

Did this group not need funding?

Somebody gains when somebody loses

I noticed they strictly used some big names..............Don't buy their product, buy ours. It is more expensive, but beneficial.

The data would be nice too.

reply to post by liejunkie01

This article is definitely from a questionable source.

Of course it's from a questionable source. As far as I'm concerned all articles are questionable until they've been vetted by the person reading them. Shouldn't we all know by now there is no such thing as an unquestionable source?

ALL sources are suspect until there is evidence to the contrary.

When will people realize the so called natural foods and supplements market is the biggest scam going right now?

I was in our local store for that the other day and they had "Organic Charcoal" for double the price. Exact same Charcoal but with a different label. Amazing. The charcoal all comes from the same kilns, made from the same wood. They buy in bulk, put it in their own packaging and throw some key words on it.

They had Bison Meat for three times what it sells for everywhere else and it all comes from the same sources. I can drive a couple of miles and buy it for far, far less or have it shipped from a relative for even less. It's all organic, the Bison (Buffalo) all feed on the same stuff.

You guys should do a thread on the real conspiracy here about these rape artists playing on your fears. You are being used and manipulated. How many have fallen for water ionizers, colloidal silver, magnetic therapy and all the other scams? Plenty I'll bet. I should change businesses since the victims are so willing.

Originally posted by seachange
*deleted* until the story is proven true.

edit on 9-11-2011 by seachange because: (no reason given)

Have you considered proving or disproving the story to yourself? There have been some good links given in this thread. And I'm sure that will lead you to some other things to search for.

The only "proof" is what evidence is sufficient to convince you personally.

It shouldn't be a secret that KFC's honey isn't really honey, it has said on the packet that it has artificial flavoring for years.

Originally posted by satron
It shouldn't be a secret that KFC's honey isn't really honey, it has said on the packet that it has artificial flavoring for years.

As history records honey is for the royals not for you comman folk

all the more reason to buy from a local beekeeper.
I live in the country, real honey is everywhere.
and it does help with allergies !

Originally posted by horseplay
all the more reason to buy from a local beekeeper.
I live in the country, real honey is everywhere.
and it does help with allergies !

I live in complete isolation and desart counrty but I still have bees the day I dont will be I start worring

reply to post by Klassified


If a bee ate nectar and then threw it up, then it is good enough for me.

Pollen content is not on my "must have" list-- I just want bee vomit.

It can even be watered down a little (because I'm going to buy the cheap stuff anyway).

The above comments were NOT sponsored by the American Association of Beekeepers-- or any other organization wishing to increase the profitability of their product.

OMG no wonder my acne used to get worst when i applied "Honey" to my pimples o.o

reply to post by Klassified

All right, you do realize that many people are allergic to pollen, and the our FDA probably forces any manufacturer using honey to either completely take all pollen out of it, or to declare on the packaging what sorts of pollen it might contain? Of course McDonald's and others probably get away with putting a tiny percentage of real honey in with a lot of high fructose corn syrup and simply flavoring it, thereby saving money. It's like saying certain juices contain ten percent "real juice" that doesn't mean unfiltered, pure unadulterated fruit juice. It can be a dab of concentrate and water or a bit of pulp. Plus it doesn't say 75% of of all "Honey" it says "honey products." That is Honey Graham crackers or cereals containing honey...But a jar of honey is what it is. If you are concerned by honey from your local farmer's markets, etc. Don't expect corporations run by people like Philip Morris to make foods that are really good for you! It's been obvious to older people like me for years that most processed foods are crap.

reply to post by lostangel818

OMG no wonder my acne used to get worst when i applied "Honey" to my pimples o.o

This is, precisely, why people should do a little more research.

Honey varies widely with the source of the pollen used to create it. Certain varieties of honey have a hundred times the antimicrobial capacity as others (enzymes in the honey create hydrogen peroxide). Some have an aroma or after-taste to them.

Obviously, the honey that comes with the most 'benefits' is going to be that which comes straight out of the comb.

There's a bit of a "yeah, but..." attached, however. Remember where that antiseptic capability comes from? The production of hydrogen peroxide by enzymes? They must get the energy and resources for that from somewhere - the honey, itself. These enzymes will slowly convert the sugars, vitamins, and amino acids into other compounds (just as yeast turns sugars into alcohol, causing things to ferment).

Which means that "raw" honey has something of a "nutritional half-life." Within a couple weeks of being harvested, I'd imagine your 'benefits' are cut by at least 30% (I have no real figures on this - and there is a lack of real research into this area of biology in the public domain).

Anyway - circle all of this back around to your comment:

A) The honey you used was not necessarily of a variety (both in species of bee and in the species of plant(s) used) known for its antiseptic properties.

B) The honey has been pasteurized to retard crystallization of the sugars and to impede the activity of enzymes which, while largely beneficial, reduce the nutritional base of honey over time.

C) Medicinal applications are not necessarily related to culinary uses of anything. I've got several encyclopedias of herbs and various remedies used the world over (some merely anecdotal, others with more history/science behind them). A number of peppers can be used for antiseptic properties - but at concentrations that can actually cause chemical irritation of the skin. Case-in-point; honey you buy at the supermarket is not really going to round out your first aid kit or skin cream.

D) Sometimes there is no cure. Sometimes you throw something through a gauntlet of remedies and treatments and it comes out smiling while giving you the finger.

A-D are all factors in your case.

Now, what I would be interested in, rather than sensationalized titles that even get the moderators in a tizzy; is a study or journalistic investigation into how honey can and is "faked" - such as cutting it with various additives and sugars... and just how common that practice is, and where it's most likely to come into play.

I know one of the major brands that sells here in Missouri is, at the very least, bottled in Missouri. I would presume, with the large agricultural base here, that they collect from a number of bee farmers involved in the pollination processes... but that's a presumption on my part.

I really don't care if the FDA classifies it as honey or not if it's had most of the pollen filtered out. It doesn't bother me much, either way. What I'm interested in is: "Is this honey really from around here? Is it 'cut' with other compounds?"

That's my main concern.

When someone says: "That isn't honey" - my mind goes to "artificially flavored molasses" or some weird taffy-like substance. Finding out that it really means it's just "well, the honey has been filtered too much to be able to identify its origin by analyzing the pollen..." ... is kind of like finding out your parents ate the cookies you set out for Santa.

reply to post by Klassified


Typical propaganda piece. Honey does not have to contain pollen to be honey. That is not to say that the pasteurized, blended and filtered product that is sold in most stores has all the potential benefits of raw local honey, but if the point is to inform, this misses.

I'm in Tennessee and our honey is from natural sources.

Originally posted by unityemissions
Local, raw honey is the only kind that's good enough for my bum.

So I'm good!

You use honey for that?

I thought I was weird

reply to post by Klassified


a very intreaging read, althought i am slightly split on this.

its common knowlage that pretty much all food is adulterated.

the real bit that splits me on this is that they say the honey is not honey but cant tell us what the fake honey actualy is?? also the addition of anti biotics in the story just reeks of scare mongering to me.

reply to post by boaby_phet

its common knowlage that pretty much all food is adulterated.

Most food that you will find in a supermarket has added preservatives or has been processed in some way to remove bacteria and/or enzymes that would, otherwise, break the food down before you got to eat it.

I'll put it to you this way: "Nature" does not intend for you to eat it. That is why you shouldn't go around sticking unfamiliar things into your mouth. The idea that any food is "as nature intended" is a fallacious and ignorant argument. Some things will flat out kill you if you do not prepare them properly. Other, common foods carry risks most people are blissfully unaware of (tomatoes and peppers, in particular, can aggravate migraines - all members of the nightshade family can, and their alkaloid content will leech aluminum into your food, and should not be prepared or stored in/with aluminum instruments/containers).

Our bodies see compounds and interact with them according to the principles of chemistry.

Now - a lot of times, when we process food, it restricts, breaks down, or removes some of those compounds (or microbial entities that produce other compounds) - some of which are not helpful (or even harmful) to your body - and some of them would be quite beneficial. In most cases, however, there is a complete lack of research in the public domain regarding the chemical/enzyme content of various foods and the impacts it has on the body (both positive, negative, and win-some-lose-some). It will continue to be that way until we have super computers with reliable models to predict biochemical interactions on such scales as cell and organism biology - as there are simply too many compounds to test -and- do animal/human trials to verify those tests (as well as find collateral/cascaded interactions).

the real bit that splits me on this is that they say the honey is not honey but cant tell us what the fake honey actualy is??

They do. The "fake" honey -is- honey (or, they don't bother to prove that it is somehow not). The FDA does not classify honey that has been filtered to remove pollen as honey. This is, probably, because it makes tracking the origin of the honey very difficult to impossible.

Which is why I say the entire thread/title is very misleading and borderline on slander. When I hear: "This is not honey" - I think of a substance made to taste similar to honey - like imitation vanilla. This, however, is not what is really being investigated by the study. The honey came from bees - it has merely been filtered to remove pollen (which, by the way, spares many people allergic reactions to honey).

There are reports, however, of honey that has been cut using corn-syrup and some flavorings (lower costs - satisfies demand). There are also reports of some shenanigans originating from China and some other foreign markets involving Honey.

Those, to me, are more interesting. They are likely not nearly as sensational titles involving a nomenclature technicality - but would be far more relevant to the issue -implied- by the title.

also the addition of anti biotics in the story just reeks of scare mongering to me.

The entire article is pretty much a stack of slander and lies that flies in the face of the information you will find on Honey-enthusiast websites and the research they have sponsored.

www.benefits-of-honey.com...

Most of the honey found in the supermarket is not raw honey but “commercial" regular honey, which has been pasteurized (heated at 70 degrees Celsius or more, followed by rapid cooling) and filtered so that it looks cleaner and smoother, more appealing on the shelf, and easier to handle and package. Pasteurization kills any yeast cell in the honey and prevents fermentation. It also slows down the speed of crystallization in liquid honey. On the downside, when honey is heated, its delicate aromas, yeast and enzymes which are responsible for activating vitamins and minerals in the body system are partially destroyed. Hence, raw honey is assumed to be more nutritious than honey that has undergone heat treatment.

Compare that to the language and tone of the OP's article - which goes from: "Honey is filtered to remove pollen" to "So it must be loaded with all kinds of stuff that isn't honey."

Which is why I say the OP's article is borderline slander, and has a few truths populated by lies.

CNN came out with a great explanation on why this is a big issue:

The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies," the report says. "Without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources

Why does it matter where your honey comes from? An earlier Food Safety News investigation found that at least a third of all the honey consumed in the United States was likely smuggled from China and could be tainted with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals

he lack of regulation is what enables potentially unsafe honey is able to make its way into the country, Andrew Schneider, author of the Food and Safety News report.

CNN