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Comparing honey
The Codex standard is the international benchmark for honey. Here is how published studies of Nepali honey measure up against it, how to read a honey label, and what industrial processing changes.
Sources last checked 1 November 2026
By bee, in Chitwan
One Chitwan study collected 81 honeys and measured them all the same way, so the three bees can be compared fairly. The figures are averages. Some limits sit in the standard’s Annex, which commercial partners apply voluntarily rather than governments.
| Feature | Codex limit | Apis cerana (26 samples) | Apis dorsata (28 samples) | Apis mellifera (27 samples) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moistureg per 100 g | 20 or less | 20.1Above the limit | 21.5Above the limit | 17.1 |
| Electrical conductivitymS/cm | 0.8 or less (blossom honey) | 0.65 | 0.96 | 0.31 |
| Prolinemg/kg | No limit | 323 | 875.8 | 610.2 |
| Invertase (enzyme activity)units per kg | No limit | 218.2 | 373.4 | 110.9 |
Sources: Joshi et al. 2000; Codex STAN 12-1981
Terai forest honey
A larger study measured 99 Apis dorsata honeys from Nepal’s Terai forests. Because these are ranges rather than averages, the last column says where the range sits against the limit.
| Feature | Codex limit | Reported range (99 samples) | Against the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moisture% | 20 or less | 20.5–26 | Every value above the limit |
| Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)mg/kg | 40 or less (80 or less for declared tropical origin) | 30–56 | Range crosses the limit |
| Diastase activitydiastase number | 8 or more (3 or more for low-enzyme honeys) | 5.1–29 | Range crosses the limit |
| Free aciditymeq/kg | 50 or less | 41–48 | Within the limit |
| pH | No limit | 3.8–4.68 | No limit to compare |
Read this with care
The study dates from 2008, and its authors judged their values acceptable against the standards they used then. This table compares the same figures with the Codex text as it stands now, which includes the voluntary Annex limits and a higher HMF limit for honey of declared tropical origin. A different year, region or flower would give different figures.
Sources: Qamer et al. 2008; Codex STAN 12-1981
Reading a honey label
The Codex standard also sets rules for what a jar may say. These are the ones worth knowing when you read a label.
| Topic | What the standard says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| The name “honey” | Products that meet the standard are designated “honey” (6.1.1). | Honey sold under that name is meant to be honey and nothing else. |
| Added ingredients | Honey sold as such must not have any food ingredient or additive added to it (3.1). | A jar labelled simply “honey” should not contain syrups, flavours or other additions. |
| Heating | Honey must not be heated or processed so much that its essential composition changes or its quality is impaired (3.2). | The limit is on the effect of heating, not on heating itself. |
| Filtering and pollen | Pollen may not be removed except where unavoidable. Honey filtered so that significant pollen is removed must be called “filtered honey” (3.1, 6.1.12). | If the label says “filtered honey”, much of the pollen has been taken out. |
| Crystallising | Chemical or biochemical treatments may not be used to influence crystallisation (3.3). | Honey crystallises naturally in storage, depending on temperature and its glucose and fructose balance, so crystals are normal. |
| Place names | A geographic name may be used only if the honey was produced exclusively in that area, and the country must then be declared (6.1.5, 6.1.8). | A district or region on the label should mean all of the honey came from there. |
| Flower names | A floral source (for example “mustard”) may be named only if the honey comes wholly or mainly from it and has matching properties (6.1.6). | A flower name is a claim about the honey’s source, not just its flavour. |
Sources: Codex STAN 12-1981; KALRO hive products manual
What industrial processing does
Industrial honey usually follows a sequence like this one, taken from an Indian food-technology training deck. Steps vary by plant, but heating and fine filtering are common.
- Harvest and transport
- Liquefaction
- Straining
- Filtration
- Moisture reduction
- Pasteurisation
- Cooling
- Bottling and labelling
The standard does not ban heating or filtering. It limits their effect: honey must not be heated so much that its composition changes, and honey filtered enough to remove significant pollen must be called “filtered honey”. A 2006 laboratory poster reported that ultrafiltration removed HMF and lowered enzyme activity. Honey for industrial use, which the standard covers in its Part Two, is still marked “subject to further consideration”.
Sources: NIFTEM honey processing deck; Codex STAN 12-1981; Ultrafiltration poster (2006)
Testing for authenticity
Added sugar syrups are the main authenticity concern. The Codex standard lists two laboratory methods for detecting added sugars: a sugar-profile analysis and a carbon-isotope analysis. A newer approach, NMR profiling, compares a sample with a reference database of honeys of known origin, so a result is only as good as that database. Germany’s Max Rubner-Institut uses NMR together with mass spectrometry to work out where a honey comes from.
Sources: Codex STAN 12-1981; UK FSA on NMR honey testing; Max Rubner-Institut honey FAQ