Honey has entered the mouth of human beings thousands of years ago and is known as a good nourishing and healthy product. Until modern society, honey is still a popular food among men, women and children, but recently there have been some "fake honey" incidents, which are said to be dirtier than gutter oil, but many people have been deceived.
"Pure earth honey" causes diarrhea
In March this year, the Changsha Municipal Market Administration received a complaint that a group of honey sellers were entrenched in some residential areas and downtown gates, and some citizens not only had sore throats but also vomited and diarrhea after buying and eating their honey. Citizens said that the group advertised that they were selling pure "local honey".
Because the people have an inexplicable confidence in the so-called "native-raised" food, many elderly people are waiting near the tricycle or even forming groups to buy it. The Changsha Market Supervision Bureau immediately investigated these "soil honey" stalls and found that the sorbic acid, potassium salt, fructose and other items of the honey sold did not meet the national standards.
In other words, none of these honeys can be called honey, and it is almost the same as chemical disinfectant water. What's even more shocking is that the Changsha Municipal Supervision Bureau seized nearly 400 catties of finished fake honey and raw materials from the gang in one fell swoop, which is a very large amount.
These fake honeys are mixed in the market, and the cost price is extremely low, only a few yuan per catty. But after the unscrupulous traders boasted about it, they became dozens of yuan a pound of "farmhouse honey", and the huge profits they made were terrifying.
What are the dangers of fake honey?
Honey, a natural sweetener, is made by bees collecting nectar from flowers and undergoing a complex biochemical process. It is rich in nutrients and bioactive components, with fructose and glucose accounting for more than two-thirds of the total amount of honey.
In addition, honey also contains some proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and a variety of enzymes, which can replenish the body's energy. These ingredients give honey not only a sweet taste, but also a wealth of nutritional and medicinal properties.
But fake honey is not real honey, but a kind of honey-like food that is artificially made. The taste and color of honey is usually mimicked by adding chemical ingredients and sweeteners to food. The nutritional value and quality of these fake honeys are very different from real honey.
Also at the beginning of this year, the Panzhihua East District Market Supervision Bureau in Sichuan Province also worked with the police to destroy a fake honey making den, and more than 100 catties of fake honey were seized in a hotel. The production method of these people is simple and crude, and only sugar, cornstarch, flavor and other substances can be boiled in one meal.
After being identified by professional institutions, the composition of these fake honeys is really bad for the human body. First of all, it is not naturally produced, lacks active substances and nutrients, its nutritional value is far less than that of genuine honey, and long-term consumption has no obvious benefits to the human body.
Secondly, fake honey may contain artificial additives such as chemical ingredients and sweeteners, which can pose potential health risks if ingested in excess. Especially for people with diabetes, the elderly, children, etc., excessive intake of sugary foods can have serious health effects.
In addition, due to the lax production process and unqualified hygienic conditions, these fake honeys may also contain a large amount of heavy metal elements such as aluminum, as well as preservative additives. If consumed in large quantities for a long time, it may cause chronic toxicity to human nerves, bones, reproductive systems and organs.
How to tell real honey from fake honey?
In general, real honey is usually dark amber or yellowish in color, and the color is relatively uniform. Whereas, fake honey tends to simulate the color of honey by adding pigments, but the luster is poor. When we can observe it in sunlight or natural light, it is real honey if it has a high gloss.
Real honey has a unique aromatic aroma, and the honey aroma of some flower species is more pronounced. Since fake honey is not a natural product, its taste may be bland or even some unnatural chemical aroma, so its authenticity can also be preliminarily judged by smelling.
Real honey is easy to crystallize at low temperatures, and the crystals are oily or flower-like structures similar to oils, which are softer and not easy to grind. Fake honey generally does not crystallize or crystallizes in a strange state.
We can also judge the quality of honey by tasting it. The taste of honey is relatively moist, and the taste is sweet but not greasy. Fake honey, on the other hand, often has a monotonous and overly sweet taste due to its high amount of sugar and other additives.
In addition to the above "looking, smelling, smelling, and tasting", there is also a "braised braised blood" identification method. Since fake honey is generally made with white sugar, brown sugar and water, there is almost no honey content in it. We can take a red-hot wire and stick it into the honey, and if it is smoking, it will be true, and if it is smoking, it will be false.
Of course, there are more professional methods such as fluorescence inspection, which is to mix honey and water in a ratio of 1:2.5, apply a little to a light-opaque glass slide, or place it in a light-opaque test tube and go to a dark room for observation. If it is yellow to green, it is a better quality honey, and if it is gray, it is sucrose fake honey.
Even if we buy real honey, we should pay attention to the correct storage and use methods. For example, place honey in a dry, cool, clean and ventilated place at 5~10 degrees Celsius, and pay attention to cover the container tightly to prolong the storage time of honey.
Some people also like to soak honey in hot water to drink, but it should be noted that some natural honey contains active enzymes, if heated to more than 60 degrees, it may become inactive and the taste becomes sour, so we try to brew honey water with warm or cold water when drinking honey water.
In today's society, the proliferation of fake honey has disrupted the market order, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between real and fake, and also impacting the real honey market, which requires relevant departments to increase the punishment of similar counterfeit products.
At the same time, it can be seen from the previous cases that most of the counterfeiters of honey do not have a high level of education and lack legal awareness, and only want to "make money" but do not care about the lives of others. They may use illegal means to obtain raw materials or use substandard production equipment for processing, which can endanger the health of consumers.
Honey itself is not sinful, but it will change its taste when mixed with desire. As producers, we should consciously maintain the bottom line and operate with integrity to sell safe and high-quality honey; As consumers, we should always be vigilant and buy qualified honey from regular sources. Thank you for reading.