Honey is the most popular hive product. It is mainly carbohydrate consisting of a mixture of sugars but also contains minerals, vitamins and other trace elements. Because of its value and usefulness, it’s rightly referred to, in this article, as the hive gold.

In the third quarter of the year, (October to December), beekeepers are able to harvest sufficient quantities of honey and wax from their hives as it is the main honey flow period. This article therefore will provide some information on honey and how to produce high quality honey from the hive.

Properties of honey

Acidity. Honey is acidic and will react in contact with metal. Storage containers should be made of acid resistant materials, materials such as stainless steel, glass, tin or plastic, or lined with acid resistant lacquer.

Fermentation. Honey will ferment if mixed with water. Unripe honey must never be cropped as it is bound to ferment.

Hygroscopic. Honey will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and must be stored in air tight containers.

Granulation. Good quality honey will form granules after storing for some time. This does not affect the quality or properties of honey. To remove them, heat the honey gently in a water jacketed container until all the crystals are dissolved.

Antiseptic. Enzymes in honey produce Hydrogen Peroxide that kills bacteria and prevents the growth of micro-organisms. It is a sterile solution which will never go mouldy.

Medicinal. Honey has antibiotic properties and modern science is proving why folk medicinal recipes containing honey are effective.

Maintaining quality of honey

It is most important that the quality of honey be maintained very high. Maintaining quality of honey means doing as little to it as possible. The quality of honey cannot be improved through processing.

Good quality honey is

       I.  Ripe honey from capped honey combs

      II.           Processed using clean equipment

    III.           Not over heated or over filtered

    IV.           Stored in a clean and dry environment

      V.           Free from scraps of wax or any other contaminants

Contamination of honey

Contamination of honey can occur within the honey comb, for example by nectar contaminated by pesticides on sources upon which bees have been foraging

Honey can also be contaminated by medicines used by beekeepers to control bee diseases

Storage containers can also be a source of contamination. Highly coloured plastic containers are not suitable for honey storage as the acidity of honey can cause the colouration of the bucket to discolour the honey. Storage containers should be air-tight to prevent honey absorbing moisture from the atmosphere which may lead to an increase in water content and possible fermentation

Simple tests for honey quality

Good quality honey is ripe honey collected from capped honey combs. This will have about 20% water content. Water content can accurately be measured using a refractometer. In its absence, simple procedures can help give a rough indication of the water content.

1.      Dip a spoon into honey. Lift the spoon out and observe whether the substance drips immediately. If it does, the water content is too high.

2.      Drop honey into water and observe. If it sinks without mixing with the water; it is likely to be pure, ripe honey. If it mixes or dissolves quickly in water, it may be unripe or adulterated.

Storing and packaging honey

It is not recommended to store honey in

(i)                 Jerry cans  or containers with narrow  openings because if honey granulates, it is difficult to remove

(ii)               Containers which recently held   strong smelling substances such as  chemicals, detergents, etc

(iii)             Coloured containers because honey will cause    container discolouration which will affectthe quality of honey.

Honey value addition

Depending on themethod of production employed (hive types), honey can be produced and presentedto the market in a variety of ways. Examples of honey types are:

        I.           Bulk comb honey which is presented to the consumer in comb form just as it is produced in the hive

      II.           Pressed honey which is liquid honey obtained from crushing the honey comb

    III.           Extracted honey is liquid honey extracted from the honey comb using centrifugal extractors

   IV.           Creamed honey is liquid honey obtained by pressing or extraction which has been processed so as to limit undesirable granulation.

Producing organic honey

In order to produce a compliant product and obtain certification for organic honey, the following general standards must be met:

Apiary Location and Forage Area

Apiaries should be sited 3 – 5 km away from non-organic plant sources. This means hives should    be in a centre of minimally 16square miles or 25 square kilometres radius of organic plants. This area should not include non-organic farms, residential  neighborhoods, industrial areas, major highways, golf courses, sludge or sewage and waste water treatment plants and genetically modified crops.  This requirement alone makes the production of organic honey impossible for most producers in industrialised countries, thereby presenting opportunities to producers in third      world countries like Zambia where many places can meet this requirement.

Hive type

Hives should be made of natural material such as wood, metal or clay. All parts and supporting structures of the hive must be made of untreated materials. Plastic can be used provided it is covered with organic beeswax.

Origin of honeybees and queens

Bees can come from organic or non-organic apiaries. Queen can be replaced whenever required. Queen wing clipping is forbidden.

Feed for Organic Honeybees

Artificial feeding is accepted only when it is difficult to provide access to organic foraging to bees. When non-organic feed is used, the apiary should be removed from organic honey production.

Disease and Pest Control

Chemical and antibiotic treatment is prohibited. Emphasis is placed on preventative methods of control. Some milder miticide treatments- those considered natural- are accepted. Examples include acetic or oxalic acid, formic acid, caustic soda and sulphur etheric oils.

Honey processing

Surfaces that come in contact with honey in processing should be of food grade material or should be coated with beeswax. Overheating and over filtering is not allowed.

Labelling

Signage denoting certified organic status, certifying authority, certificate number together with other honey labelling requirements should be provided on label. Honey in an organic labelled jar should be traceable to the apiary it was produced from.

This information is brought to you in the community service of Al – Apis ConceptsLtd.

For yourquestions and clarifications from this feature, contact the author on 0967 419551/0954 186 973. Email: apisconcepts@gmail.com. For allyour beekeeping requirements contact Al-Apis Concepts Ltd. Phone: +260 966474757

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