Pardon the pun, but ‘raw’ and ‘organic’ are the buzz words on the lips of many a honey producer and consumer today. Attempting to eat well and making healthy choices can be confusing when trying to understand what is truly good for us, so let’s explore what they are and how they can benefit us.
What is raw honey?
Raw honey means it hasn’t been heated past the point of pasteurization. The temperature of honey within the hive is around 95’ Fahrenheit so raw honey retains its temperature and its nutritional qualities, the enzymes and the honey are active and alive. Honey that is classified as raw is not allowed to be pasteurized or processed. Texture wise, if you see honey that is cloudy, gritty or even lumpy then this type of raw honey has been carried from the hive pollen, honeycomb, beeswax and you might even see bits of bees. Don’t be put off as this is carrying even more of the benefits of the hive. Be wary of supermarket honeys carrying the label, ‘natural’ or ‘pure’, this doesn’t always mean it is raw. Commercial honeys sometimes have added sugar, water and flavourings.
What is organic honey?
Where raw honey is about the temperature and the texture, organic honey is about the flowers the bees collect their nectar from and knowing they are chemical free. Generally, beekeepers must ensure that the flowers within 3 to 5 miles of their hive are not sprayed in order to gain the organic label. The problem is that some bees might fly much further, so it’s difficult for beekeepers to guarantee that their honey is completely organic.
4 reasons you can’t guarantee your honey is organic
- Bees are furry, which is useful for pollen collection and also means their bodies readily gather all sorts of environmental particles. Any agrochemical applied anywhere within a colony's extensive reach can end up back in the hive.
- Beekeepers don't own the tens of thousands of acres surrounding their hives, they have no control over what their bees are bringing home.
- The hydrocarbon chains of beeswax retain certain pesticides, including those used by conventional beekeepers against the Varroa mite.
- Over time pesticide residues accumulate in the combs, so chemicals linger or build for years beyond the original applications. By itself this might not present a problem, except that beekeepers routinely buy and sell wax as starter comb. A recent survey of pesticides in commercially-available beeswax recorded 98% of samples contaminated with miticides.
(Source: Scientific American)
The challenges of sourcing organic honey
According to the UK newspaper, The Guardian, the bee population in the UK has experienced a sharp decline, partly because of the Varroa mite, the changing weather and the use of chemical pesticides. The European bee's foraging distance has been estimated as being up to 12km. So in order to get the organic seal a honey producer will have to prove that its bees have only foraged organically. In most places this is challenging or not even possible.
For honey to be certified organic, manufacturers have to meet a set of organic standards and conditions during the honey production (set by an organic agriculture certification body), which include source of the nectar, honey bees foraging area, bees management, honey extracting process, transportation, processing temperature, and packaging materials. Certification requirements vary from country to country, with some being less stringent than others. Dealing with different standards for organic honey from different sources can be confusing and one could question that some honeys that have been packaged and labelled as organic may not actually be the real deal. There also isn’t a specific rule that says organic honey can’t be pasteurized or processed so this means it might be organic but it could be devoid of all its nutrients and health qualities if it has been heated or treated.
Where to source raw honey
It seems to make more sense to me to retain the nutritional health benefits guaranteed with raw honey and buy honey sourced from ‘clean’ environments. That’s why I seek out remote locations and get to know my beekeepers and their practices, like the beekeeper co-operative I work with in the South of Yemen. They harvest the honey naturally bringing the purest form of honey, Raw Yemeni Sidr Do’ ani to the shelves of Balqees. The bees forage nectar from the Sidr trees that grow in the isolated mountains of the Wadi Do'an in the Hadramout region. The same goes for our Raw Catay Honey where the bee’s source pollen from Caa-tay flowers that grow in wetlands in the middle of the Parana River in Argentina. This is extremely rare honey and the beekeepers can only access the hives by boat at certain times of the year. There aren’t any pollutants to contaminate the flowers and the beekeepers take so much care and pride in their practices; respecting the bees is paramount in this naturally organic process.
Did you know it takes 12 bees a lifetime to produce a teaspoon of honey?
Friends of the Earth in the UK ask the consumer to consider the treatment of the bees and to ensure they come from healthy ecosystems. This means supporting beekeepers who raise their hives and follow best practices even if not completely organic. Natural beekeeping as advocated by naturalbeekeepingtrust.org puts the real producers first, the bees rather than the consumers. This resonates as I care a great deal about my customers and meeting their needs and demands but I also know best practice and happy bees makes for a better product. Bees are our pollinators so we need to protect them, this means reducing the use of chemicals and the over consumption that is leeching the hives leaving nothing for the bees, and to protect naturally from disease. Industrial scale beekeeping, whatever the type of honey, can do a lot of harm.
One thing for sure as consumers, do your own research and ask questions about your food and where it comes from. When it comes to raw versus organic ask yourself what is the healthiest option and always look to the source so you know it is coming from small beekeeper operations and avoid large corporations producing en masse.
So, what do you think? Let me know your thoughts and share your honey experience with me.
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2264 thoughts on “Is raw honey the same as organic honey?”
tenobet_jdel
Been using Tenobet since about March, and I reckon I have enough mileage to actually comment. Found it via someone on another board who was after something with half-decent lobby depth that didn’t have all the affordability checks you run into now on the UK licensed sites. Right, important bit: it’s not UK Gambling Commission licensed and it isn’t on GamStop, and that cuts both ways.
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Cashouts have been the better half for me. Visa/Mastercard go through, Skrill and Neteller are there, and crypto if you prefer. My Skrill cashouts have come through within a day; cards were closer to three days. What did wind me up was the verification — it took 36-48 hours to clear my documents, and my first withdrawal sat waiting until that cleared. Nothing shady about it, just a bit of a wait.
Couple of niggles: no native app, so you’re on browser only. Works fine on Android though I’d prefer a proper app. Logging in sometimes gets a bit slow around weekend evenings. Live chat at Tenobet is live chat, English, decent, but the first replies read like templates. Get past the script and someone competent turns up.
tenobet_koel
I’ve been punting on Tenobet since about the spring, so I figure I’ve got a fair bit of mileage to actually comment. Found it through a mate of mine who was chasing somewhere with proper lobby depth without the usual affordability nonsense you see everywhere now on the UKGC sites. Should flag early: it’s not UKGC licensed and it’s not on the GamStop scheme, and that will matter to some of you a lot.
The lobby is genuinely big — about 4,000+ slots last I looked, with the providers that matter all turn up: Pragmatic, Net Ent, Play’n GO, BTG, Betsoft, Microgaming’s back catalogue. I mostly rinse Gates of Olympus plus Book of Dead, both behave properly in browser. Live dealer’s Evolution, so it’s what you’re getting — proper croupiers, Crazy Time if that’s your thing. There’s a sportsbook too, which I’ve used a handful of times on footy, decent odds, nothing groundbreaking.
Bonus-wise is 100% up to ?125 with 100 spins thrown in, you have to use the promo code JOIN002 or it won’t trigger. Read the wagering first, it’s fairly standard to be honest. Don’t expect free credit without depositing that I could find. For the what’s running currently, you’ll find them at [url=https://solvecovid19.net]tenobet casino login[/url] before you sign up. Minimum deposit is ?10, standard stuff, signing up took maybe two minutes.
Cashouts have been the stronger part for me. Visa/Mastercard work, Skrill and Neteller are supported, and crypto for anyone who wants that. Skrill withdrawals have come through in under 24 hours; card payouts took closer to three days. What did wind me up was KYC — took 36-48 hours to clear my documents, so the first cashout sat waiting the whole time. Not a scam, but a bit of a wait.
Couple of niggles: there’s no app, so it’s browser only. It’s responsive enough on my iPhone though I do miss having one. Logging in can be a bit slow around weekend evenings. Support’s live chat, English, decent, but the first replies are copy-paste. Ask a specific question and someone competent turns up.
tenobet_zwel
Been using Tenobet since roughly March, and I figure I have enough experience to give an honest take. Came across it through someone on another board who wanted a site with half-decent game coverage without all the affordability checks you get now on the UKGC sites. Right, important bit: it’s not UKGC licensed and it’s not on the GamStop scheme, which is either the point or a dealbreaker.
Lobby’s honestly massive — about 4,000+ slots going by the counter, with the usual heavy hitters all turn up: Pragmatic Play, Net Ent, Play’n GO, Big Time Gaming, Yggdrasil, Microgaming’s back catalogue. I mostly rinse Gates of Olympus and Book of Dead, which both behave properly on mobile browser. The live rooms are all Evolution, so it’s exactly what you expect — actual dealers, Crazy Time and Lightning Roulette when I fancy a punt on something daft. Sports betting’s bolted on as well, and it I’ve dabbled in on Premier League, decent odds, nothing groundbreaking.
Bonus-wise is a 100% match to ?125 plus 100 free spins, you have to use the code JOIN002 — I nearly forgot it the first time. Check the playthrough first, the requirement is not the loosest to be honest. Don’t expect free credit without depositing that I could find. To check current promos, you’ll find them at [url=https://solvecovid19.net]tenobet review[/url] rather than taking my word for it. Minimum deposit is ?10, the form took under five minutes.
Cashouts have been generally fine in my experience. Visa/Mastercard go through, e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller are there, Bitcoin and a few other coins if you prefer. My Skrill cashouts have landed same day twice; cards were a bit longer. The one thing that annoyed me was the verification — took about two days to verify me, and my first withdrawal sat waiting until that cleared. Nothing shady about it, but slower than I’d like.
Few more things: there’s no app, so you’re on browser only. It’s responsive enough on my iPhone though I’d prefer a proper app. Logging in is occasionally fiddly around weekend evenings. Support’s English-speaking and reasonably quick, but the opening messages read like templates. Get past the script and they sort it.
rever_irea
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Il settore live e tutta Evolution, quindi sai gia cosa aspettarti: dealer in carne e ossa, tavoli in italiano in certe fasce orarie, e i game show tipo Crazy Time sempre pieni di sera. Una cosa che mi ha dato fastidio: su connessione mobile scarsa il video scatta, ma immagino sia colpa mia e non loro.
Sul pacchetto iniziale: il benvenuto di Slot Shopper gira intorno al 100% fino a 300€ e ci mette 150 free spin, spalmati su qualche giorno. Il requisito di puntata sta sul 40x solo sul bonus, non sul deposito, onesto, niente di assurdo. Girano pure un piccolo no deposit da 10 giri in certi periodi, e comunque conviene guardare le promo aggiornate su slotshopper prima di depositare.
Deposito minimo 20€, registrazione veloce ma il documento te lo chiedono per il KYC. Uso Neteller e il prelievo mi e arrivato in un giorno e mezzo. Visa, Mastercard, i soliti e-wallet e anche crypto tipo Bitcoin, nessun problema di metodi. La prima richiesta ci ha messo di piu per la verifica.
Su smartphone non serve nessuna app, il sito si adatta bene, semplice e senza intoppi. La chat di Slot Shopper e in italiano via live chat, tempi sui 5-10 minuti, per un problema su un free spin mi hanno risposto con calma e risolto. La licenza e Malta Gaming Authority, e sinceramente questo mi tranquillizza piu delle promo.
rever_cuea
Spiele dort mittlerweile seit etwa einem halben Jahr, also kann ich schon was dazu sagen. Crypto Control hat eine echt volle Lobby — grob 2500 bis 3000 Spiele, genaue Zahl wei? ich nicht. Pragmatic Play und Yggdrasil sind stark vertreten, Gates of Olympus und Sweet Bonanza laufen bei mir am meisten.
Der Willkommensbonus war offen gesagt der Ausloser, warum ich mich registriert hab. 100% bis 500 Euro plus 200 Freispiele, die Freispiele kommen portionsweise. Kleiner Wermutstropfen: 35x Umsatz, schaffbar, aber nichts fur nebenbei. Es gab auch mal 20 Freispiele ohne Einzahlung, aber die Aktionen wechseln standig.
Die jeweils gultigen Angebote stehen bei solana casino , ich les die Bedingungen inzwischen immer vorher durch. Eingezahlt werden mussen mindestens 20€, Registrierung dauerte bei mir keine drei Minuten.
Bei den Auszahlungen lief es besser als gedacht: uber BTC waren es keine 90 Minuten, uber Neteller etwa einen Werktag. Mit Visa oder Mastercard geht’s genauso, schleppt sich dann aber hin. Die Verifizierung bei Crypto Control war nervig — Perso plus Stromrechnung, das ubliche Theater.
Am Abend lande ich fast immer bei den Live-Tischen. Evolution liefert da ab, an Crazy Time komme ich selten vorbei, und naturlich jede Menge Roulettevarianten. Deutschsprachige Croupiers gibt’s an einigen Tischen, langst nicht uberall, aber besser als nichts.
Auf dem Smartphone geht’s uber den Browser, keine native App, ist mir aber wumpe. Crypto Control hat deutschsprachigen Live-Chat, ging bisher immer recht flott, auch wenn man teils Textbausteine bekommt. Die Lizenz kommt aus Curacao, sprich kein deutscher Erlaubnisschein — muss man wissen.