Raw Honey vs. Processed Honey: A Detailed Comparison

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Raw Honey vs. Processed Honey: A Detailed Comparison

When buying honey one can get confused looking at the labels. Some honey brands write raw honey on the packaging while others mention simply honey or regular honey. And some producers can even claim the honey to be pure but give you an adulterated or processed product.

This is what the CEO of B A Barry Group and the mastermind behind the Geohoney has to say

“Everybody should have a surface-level understanding of what sets raw monofloral or polyfloral honey apart from the processed type. This is the only way to avoid getting scammed and paying huge bucks for a mediocre product.”  

To avoid confusion and get the right value for your money, you need to be able to identify whether the honey you have just bought is raw or processed.

This article gives you a detailed comparison of raw honey and processed honey. With this information, you will be able to find honey that is both nutritious and pure so keep on reading till the end.

  • What is Raw Honey?
  • Main Features of Raw Honey
  • What is Processed Honey?
  • Main Features of Processed Honey
  • Comparison Between Raw Honey vs. Processed Honey
  • Nutritional Value
  • Appearance
  • Pollen Content
  • Added Sugar Content
  • Processing Extent

What is Raw Honey?

This is the honey that beekeepers collect directly from the honeycombs. This honey is filtered afterward to get rid of debris, pollen, beeswax, and parts of dead bees. Typically, a mesh or nylon cloth is used to filter out the impurities from the raw honey.

Raw honey has high pollen content as well as some other solids that give it a cloudy or opaque appearance. These are also the particles that act as starter crystals in the crystallization process of the raw honey.

You need to buy unprocessed honey as it is the nutritional powerhouse owing to its high vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidant contents which are lost in processed honey during the pasteurization process.

Pasteurization is a process where honey is heated at high temperatures to get rid of pollen and yeast and to delay crystallization. This gives the honey a clearer color and extends its shelf life. However, the process deprives honey of its several healthy nutrients. This is why you should buy unprocessed honey every single time.       

Main Features of Raw Honey

  • This type of honey has a creamy and opaque texture and it crystallizes quickly.
  • It contains bee pollen which gives it high proteins, minerals, and vitamin content.
  • It contains health-promoting enzymes like diastase and invertase.
  • The beeswax or propolis particles in raw honey give it many therapeutic features.   

What is Processed Honey?

This is boiled, pasteurized, and filtered honey that has a clearer appearance, higher shelf life, and low yeast content which gives it a sweeter taste. The treatment of raw honey is believed to remove beneficial pollen, antioxidants, and enzymes from it. 

To create this honey, raw honey is heated or pasteurized to 145F to 160F to kill the yeast and denature the amino acids. This honey is then filtered which gives you a product with reduced health benefits and an altered taste profile that has an extended shelf life.

This allows raw honey to stay on a store shelf without getting crystallized or fermented for months.     

Main Features of Processed Honey

  • It has a clear, smooth, and syrupy texture.
  • The pasteurization process leads to the loss of several healthy enzymes and nutrients in processed honey.
  • Filtration further reduces bee pollen content.
  • This honey has a slower rate of crystallization which increases its shelf life.
  • This honey comes with additives that enhance its sweetness.


 

Comparison Between Raw Honey vs. Processed Honey

Here is a brief detailed comparison between raw honey vs processed honey to give you a better idea 

  1. Nutritional Value

Pure raw honey has several components that offer immense health benefits. These include bee pollen that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant features, amino acids, bee propolis, vitamins, minerals, and healthy enzymes.

The processed honey is made after pasteurization which reduces and, in some cases, removes these elements altogether.

  1. Appearance

Raw honey is cloudier and it can have various color variations based on the flowers. The texture of this type of honey is also creamier.

On the other hand, the processed honey has a clear and uniform color and a smooth texture.

  1. Pollen Content

Bee pollen is a source of over 250 healthy substances including amino acids, vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidants, and micronutrients. Honey bees collect this pollen when gathering nectar for making honey. Some part of this pollen stays in the organic honey giving it remarkable health benefits.

In processed honey, processes like pasteurization and ultrafiltration remove this bee pollen completely.

  1. Added Sugar Content

Every best honey brand in world gives you a product that is raw and unadulterated. This honey is collected directly from the hives and after filtration packaged and delivered to the consumer. There are thus no additives of any kind in this type of honey.

Most processed honey products come with added sweeteners like brown rice syrup or corn syrup to make them extra sweet. 

  1. Processing Extent

Raw honey undergoes minimal processing at a gentle and very low temperature which conserves the pollen, enzymes, and other healthy elements. The straining or filtration is also done very lightly to remove wax, leaves, and other debris.

The processed honey undergoes rigorous treatment on the other hand which destroys most of its goodness.

 

Conclusion

Both raw honey and processed honey have different textures and nutritional contents owing to the difference in the way the honey is treated after harvesting. Raw honey is simply strained and packed while the regular or processed honey undergoes several treatments.

The processing of raw honey can destroy healthy nutrients and antioxidants which reduces its health benefits. However, processed honey tends to be sweeter which makes it an ideal ingredient in several recipes.

The type of honey you buy can directly impact its flavor profile and overall shelf life and that is why you need to decide carefully.

 

GeoHoney is the leading honey brand based in Dubai with over 130 farms equipped with the latest new-tech monofloral initiatives. Our 100% pure, raw, and natural monofloral honey is carefully prepared using single nectar sources which ensures both a high concentration of nutrients and enzymes.

Working with worldwide beekeepers from more than 53 countries Goehoney strives to produce monofloral honey that meets the highest global quality control standards while using environmentally sustainable resources and adhering to socially responsible policies.

Visit GEOHONEY today to get your hands on the most raw and pure monofloral honey out there to improve your health and well-being without sacrificing sweetness.

 

Are you happy? Go to Geohoney.com and Buy Now !

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