Honey has become one of the most popular products during the Corona epidemic due to growing health concerns. However, due to incorrect information, many people find it difficult to buy honey and often make mistakes.
The content and benefits of real honey and counterfeit honey are certainly different; However, determining the authenticity and recognition of genuine honey sometimes requires the care of the consumer according to the types of honey available in the market. In this regard, four misconceptions about the authenticity of honey that are common among people are expressed:
1. The color of real honey does not change
Honey discoloration is common. This is due to the Millard reaction or non-enzymatic browning reaction that can increase the level of antioxidants in honey. As it turns out, antioxidants are good antidotes for free radicals that can cause heart attack, cancer, cataracts and decreased kidney function. “This way we can be sure that the misconception that the original honey did not change color is not true,” says Dr. Hj.
2. Ants do not like real honey
This misconception is also not true. In fact, the preference of ants for honey depends a lot on various things such as the age of honey, the amount of carbohydrates and the type of ants in the area around the honey. In general, ants love honey, even because it is still in the form of nectar that has just emerged from the tip of the plant. For this reason, bees and ants often try to get nectar. However, under certain conditions ants do not like honey; One of them is when honey is still immature and the production process by bees in the hive is not yet complete. Honey produces carbon dioxide under these conditions, which ants do not like. Hence, the ants will like the honey whose production process has been completed by the bees.
3. Sugared honey is counterfeit honey
Crystallization of honey is often interpreted by people as a forgery of honey. In fact, it is common for honey to crystallize, toss, or become sugary, occurring naturally and spontaneously in honey. When honey is crystallized, its quality does not decrease. All contents remain the same and do not change, except for color.
4. Real honey can explode
Honey is obtained from plant fluids collected by bees. Unripe honey naturally emits CO2 (carbon dioxide) gas during the fermentation process. This gas naturally evaporates in the air. However, if this gas condenses and accumulates strongly in a bottle, it will explode. In this way, the authenticity of honey can not be measured by its explosion or non-explosion.
Source:
https://1news.my.id/2021/09/23/4-myths-about-the-authenticity-of-honey-that-are-not-always-true/