Honey

Sweet trends in honey at the Summer Fancy Food Show

05-Jul-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Honey continued its reign as a sweet superfood during the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City June 25-27. Known for its flavor, function and versatility in food, honey brands served up diverse flavors and applications from infused tea bags to condiments,...

FDA testing finds 10% of imported honey adulterated with undeclared sweeteners: 'Simply put, consumers are being cheated'

19-Dec-2022 By Lauren Nardella

Ten percent of imported honey samples recently assessed by FDA were found to be adulterated with undeclared added sweeteners, demonstrating a need for continued testing to help prevent distribution of noncompliant products in the U.S. market, the agency...

Plant-based ‘honey without bees’ prepares to create a buzz in Europe

02-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

US-based MeliBio is partnering with organic food producer Narayan Foods to bring its plant-based bee-free honey product to Europe under the Better Foodie brand.

News in brief

US honey consumption hits record highs as domestic production steadily drops, USDA report

17-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

US honey consumption reached record highs last year while domestic production dropped to its lowest since 1991, primarily due to lower yield per colony, according to USDA’s latest sugars and sweeteners outlook report, which notes that imports have surged...

Where next for honey? National Honey Board talks opportunities ahead for the category

15-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As many consumers take note of their sugar consumption and weigh different sweetener options from zero-calorie stevia and monk fruit to low-glycemic alternatives such as agave and coconut sugar, where does centuries-old honey land on the spectrum of consideration?...

Honey... without bees? MeliBio unveils first product at tasting event, gears up for commercial launch

01-Oct-2021 By Elaine Watson

MeliBio, a startup developing honey without bees, has unveiled its first products at a tasting in Berkeley, California, as it gears up for a soft launch supplying food service and CPG companies with its animal-free/vegan honey as a branded ingredient...

Private equity firm acquires raw honey brand, Local Hive Honey

28-Sep-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Marking its first acquisition for its new fund, Charlotte, North Carolina-based private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners has acquired raw and unfiltered honey brand, Local Hive Honey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

‘Real honey, without bees...’ Vegan honey startup MeliBio raises pre-seed round, gears up for soft launch

30-Mar-2021 By Elaine Watson

MeliBio, the Berkeley-based startup claiming to make real honey without bees, has closed $850,000 in pre-seed funding as it gears up for a soft launch supplying food service companies with its vegan honey as a branded ingredient later this year.

Real honey… without bees? Berkeley-based startup MeliBio gears up for launch in late 2021

02-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

First came real milk proteins without cows, then egg proteins without chickens, and collagen without animals … and now honey, minus the bees?

Dairy-free 'nice cream' brand Frönen takes on new markets and launches new flavors

14-Apr-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After owning its backyard market of Chicago, dairy-free 'nice cream' brand Frönen is expanding to the West Coast in Nugget Markets and soon, New York City along with two new flavor launches.

Nature Nate’s Honey Co. makes “natural progression” into nut butters, fruit spreads and syrup

05-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

After establishing itself as a top player in the honey category with strong year-over-year growth, Nature Nate’s Honey Co. is expanding into adjacent categories where a company executive said it can offer “real, clean” alternatives to existing products...

Manuka Honey: Buzz builds for New Zealand superfood

02-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

Famed for its health benefits, Manuka honey is beginning to make a mark in the US, with market leader Wedderspoon reporting record-breaking sales across all retail channels in 2017.

Heavenly Organics' shows "profits can create peace" by providing ethical jobs in conflict areas

08-Apr-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Under cover of darkness, deep in Northern and Central India and the Himalayans, harvesters for Heavenly Organics gently brush away sleeping bees from wild hives to collect the velvety, organic raw white honey that fills the firm’s award-winning confections...

Plant Based Products Association launches to fuel growth of alternatives to animal-based products

09-Mar-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Manufacturers of meat alternatives, tofu, tempeh, nut milks and vegan dairy replacements have a new champion in their corner and in Washington to help them level a playing field that currently is crowded with animal-based product lobbyists.

Honeydrop Beverages CEO: 'A tablespoon of raw honey in every bottle is what makes us stand out'

22-May-2015 By Elaine Watson

With an eight-year stint in sales and brand management at PepsiCo on his resume, David Luks knew a fair bit about the beverages market when he launched Honeydrop in 2009. But it quickly became clear that selling Diet Pepsi and selling a product no one...

Industry disagreement could delay a national honey standard

27-Jan-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Disagreement about what a potential standard for honey in the U.S. should include could hinder industry efforts to convince FDA to reverse its long-standing position that such a standard is unnecessary, according to a food and drug lawyer. 

True Source Honey considers manufacturer-specific verification system

19-Nov-2013 By Maggie Hennessy

True Source Honey, formed by a group of US honey companies to prevent illegally sourced honey from entering the US market, has focused its efforts over the past five years primarily on retailers, because they sell direct to consumers. But as consumer...

Steviva Ingredients launches all-natural agave nectar and stevia sweetener for lower-calorie bars, beverages, baked goods

03-Oct-2013 By Elaine WATSON

Stevia specialist Steviva Ingredients has developed an organic syrup combining blue agave nectar and stevia extract that is suitable for formulators looking to cut calories and maintain clean labels in sauces and dressings, bars, beverages and baked goods.

North American demand for honey spurs purity certification offering

19-Sep-2011 By Ankush Chibber

A market for Indian honey in the North American market has prompted Intertek to launch a honey certification service for manufacturers and exporters in India.

High-fructose syrup from date palm, a low-cost alternative: Study

14-Dec-2010 By Nathan Gray

Extracts from date palm fruit could be used to produce low-cost, natural, fructose-rich syrup, according to new research from Tunisia.

FDA issues draft guidance on acidified and fermented foods

05-Oct-2010 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance on acidified and fermented foods, such as pickles, relishes and olives, to provide recommendations on manufacturing and quality control.

Researchers warn of toxin increase in heated HFCS

27-Aug-2009 By Jess Halliday

The formation of a toxic substance when high fructose corn syrup is heated raises concerns for bee keepers, say researchers, and will help inform advice on safe storage of the ingredient for use in human food.

Honey replaces additives in French salad dressing: study

02-Sep-2008 By Stephen Daniells

Antioxidant-rich honey may protect against spoilage in salad dressings, and naturally sweeten the condiment, according to new research from Chicago.

Wolff pledges to fight illegal honey claims

28-May-2008 By Laura Crowley

Ingredients company Alfred L Wolff is vigorously denying
accusations against two of its US executives who were arrested for
allegedly importing honey from China mislabelled as coming from
Russia and the Ukraine.

Scientists examine health in honey

08-Jan-2008 By Lorraine Heller

The health benefits of honey are the focus of discussions taking
place today at an international symposium bringing together
scientists to examine the potential of the natural sweetener.

Simply change ingredients to reduce acrylamide, say researchers

16-May-2006 By Stephen Daniells

Substitution of certain ingredients could reduce acrylamide content
of finished products by as much as 70 per cent, say Swiss
researchers.

Pumpable sugar targets industrial bakers

21-Jun-2005

Industrial bakers on the hunt for a pumpable invert syrup to ease
production will welcome a new launch from UK sugar firm British
Sugar.

Label properly or lose consumer trust, warns NHB

10-Jun-2005

Food manufacturers must be more honest with consumers or risk
eroding their trust, as a recent study into honey demonstrates
writes Anthony Fletcher.

China restarts EU honey exports

07-Feb-2005

Honey producers in China began exporting to the EU for the first
time in nearly three years last week after the authorities in
Brussels lifted a ban imposed amid safety concerns.

Honey could be next big food sweetener

22-Oct-2004

Health promoting compounds found in honey could make this
ingredient a more attractive option for food makers currently using
bulk sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup, say scientists in
the US, and looking to jump on board...

Health to drive honey choice for food formulations?

22-Oct-2004

Health-promoting compounds found in honey could make this
ingredient a more attractive option for food makers currently using
bulk sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup and looking to
jump on board the growing health foods trend,...

Honey formulations to get cheaper?

19-Jul-2004

Competition for European suppliers of honey has ramped up with
Brussels clearing the way to end a two year ban on food imports
from China which should pave the way for cheaper raw materials for
honey formulations.