Types of Honey

Honey Types according to Origin

The Codex Alimentarius, or “Food Code” is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Commission, also known as CAC, is the central part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and was established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade. The Codex Alimenterius sets international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice contribute to the safety, quality and fairness of this international food trade. Consumers can trust the safety and quality of the food products they buy and importers can trust that the food they ordered will be in accordance with their specifications.

The Codex Aimenterius states that

“Honey may be designated by the name of the geographical or topographical region if the honey is produced exclusively within the area referred to in the designation. Honey may be designated according to floral or plant source if it comes wholly or mainly from that particular source and has the organoleptic, physicochemical and microscopic properties that origin.”

Honey and Floral Source

Generally, honey is classified by the floral source of the nectar from which it was made. Honeys can be from specific types of flower nectars or can be blended after collection. The pollen in honey is traceable to floral source and therefore region of origin.

Most honey can be classified as blossom honey as the bees gather the nectar from flower sources.

Some plants can produce honeydew honey. Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. Honeydew is collected by certain species of birds, stingless bees and honey bees, which process it into honeydew honey.

Monofloral Honey

Monofloral honey is made primarily from the nectar of one type of flower. Different monofloral honeys have a distinctive flavour and colour because of differences between their principal nectar sources. To produce monofloral honey, beekeepers keep beehives in an area where the bees have access to only one type of flower.

Polyfloral Honey

Polyfloral honey is derived from the nectar of many types of flowers. Wildflower honey is an example of polyfloral honey as the honey bees gather the nectar from several floral sources.

Honey According to Bee Types

Apis Mellifera (European Bees)

These bees dominates the honey world. Beekeepers find these bees comparatively more docile and easier to work with. In addition, they are very productive in producing honey.

Apis Scutellata (Africanized Bees)

Africanized Bees, also known as African Killer Bees, are hybrids between European stock and one of the African subspecies. They are said to be more resistant to disease. As the name suggests, they are the most aggressive if handled improperly and are capable of killing human with their stings.

Apis Cerana (Asian Bees)

These are the native honey bees of southern and eastern Asia. They can be kept in hives in a fashion similar to Apis Mellifera, and are smaller than their European cousins.

Apis Dorsata (Giant Bees)

These are native and common across most of South and Southeast Asia. Apis Dorsata usually build single or a few exposed combs on high tree limbs, on cliffs, and sometimes on buildings. They can be very aggressive. Due to their migratory characteristic, they cannot be domesticated like Apis Mellifera or Apis Cerana. Human “honey hunter” market the honey from them as Wild Honey. Environmentalists are concerned how honey hunting deprives these wild honey bees their homes as well as depletes their food source.

Stingless Bees

These are also known as meliponines. Trigona is the largest genus of the stingless bee.. Trigona bee nests are made from wax the bee produces and plant resins they collect. Nests are usually built in hollow trunks, tree branches or underground. Stingless bees store honey in large egg-shaped pots called sugar bags. Unlike other honey bees, stingless bee honey has a sour, citrus and tangy taste. Although their stingers are reduced and they do not sting, they are capable of biting when defending their nests.

Toxic Honey

Like any other natural food, honey can be contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides and antibiotics. Some plants of the Ericaceae family of the sub-family of Rhododendron, especially Rhododendron ponticum, contain toxic polyhydroxylated cyclic hydrocarbons or diterpenoids. Honey containing Rhododendeon ponticum is also known as mad honey. Ingestion of this honey, while not lethal, can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, weakness, blurred vision, convulsions, loss of consciousness, extremity paresthesia, excessive perspiration and salivation.

To learn more about on this topic, do sign up for Honey Talk at www.beeamazed.com.sg.