FAQs
We have compiled below the answers to a collection of the most commonly asked questions relating to honey that we have encountered from our customers over the last decade.
What is meant by Total Activity (or TA)?
The term "Activity" in the context of bioactive honeys is used to refer to the strength or potency of the honey in inhibiting bacterial or microbial growth.
There are two different types of activity: peroxide and non-peroxide activity honeys. Although different in their chemical composition, both peroxide and non-peroxide honeys produce an antimicrobial effect and thus comparable health benefits and immune support.
Total Activity (or TA) is a measure of both peroxide and non-peroxide activity.
Western Australian honeys such as the Jarrah, Red Gum and Blackbutt are peroxide honeys (with their active component being enzymatic hydrogen peroxide), while Manuka is a non-peroxide honey (with its active component being methylglyoxal or MGO).
For more information on the different measures of activity, see this post.
How do I test that honey hasn't been adulterated or substituted?
Honey is the third most faked food in the world, behind milk and olive oil. A 2018 study of honey for sale in Australia found that 27% of the products tested were faked (substituted) or had other ingredients mixed in (adulterated). Honey adulteration has been on the rise since the 1970s, when cheap high-fructose corn syrup became widely available.
Fortunately, the samples taken from Western Australia for the study all tested as 100% pure honey. Regardless, our colleagues at Condrell Food Products have uploaded a great video on a few easy tests you can do to test the purity of your honey:
Real v. Fake Honey - How can you tell the difference? Source: YouTube
My honey has crystallised. Does this mean it has expired or spoiled?
Not at all! In fact, it's a sign of the honey's purity. Pure, raw, and unheated honey has a natural tendency to crystallise over time with no effect on the honey other than colour and texture.
Honey is a highly concentrated natural sugar solution, containing over 70% sugars and less than 20% water. There are two principal sugars in honey - fructose and glocuse. It's the balance of these two major sugars that causes the crystallisation of honey, and the relative percentage of each determines whether it crystallises rapidly or slowly. What crystallises is the glucose, due to its lower solubility compared to fructose.
When glucose crystallises, it separates from the water in the honey and takes the form of tiny crystals. As the crystallisation progresses, those crystals spread throughout the honey, until the honey reaches a "stable" crystallised form.
This is why low glucose honeys, such as the Jarrah and Blackbutt honeys, do not crystallise, or take much longer to crystalise than other honeys.
Crystallised honey is delicious in tea, on yoghurt, on a toasted bagel, and on oatmeal, or as a glaze for cooking meats.
Crystallised honey on a bagel. Source: Wired
If you would like to revert crystallised honey back to liquid honey, gently heat the honey in its container in a bowl of 30-40°C water. We don't recommend microwaving your honey as it overheats the honey, damaging it, and it won't heat the honey evenly.
Can I purchase your products outside of Australia?
Yes you can! Please contact us with your order and delivery address and we will provide you with a bespoke quote.
Note that we currently have distribution partners in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. If you are located in these geographies, please contact us and we will work together with our partners to get our products to you.
I would like to stock your products. How do I do that?
Thank you for your interest. Please contact us with the following information and we will get in touch with you:
- Geography of operations;
- Current distribution reach;
- Other products you currently distribute; and
- Your contact details.
If you have any further questions about our products, Western Australia, or anything else, please feel free to contact us.