Throughout the centuries, legendary beauties have used honey as part of their skin and hair care treatments. Cleopatra was famous for her milk and honey baths, and Poppea, wife of Roman Emperor Nero, used a honey and milk lotion on her face to keep her looking youthful.

In Greece, an ancient custom was the offering of honey to the gods and to spirits of the dead. Mead, an alcoholic drink made with honey, was considered the drink of the gods.

Honeybees have been in Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. It was not until the late 1600s that the bee was brought to North America by Europeans. Native Americans called the honeybee "white man's flies."

Approximately one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants, and honeybees are responsible for 80 percent of this pollination. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy.

Honey is seen as attractive by the consumer because it is natural, pure, wholesome. Some honeys, perhaps all, have antimicrobial properties. because of the acids, flavonoids and other substances which they contain. Honey has been used in the treatment of various illnesses and diseases since time immemorial and has a role in treating infections such as Helicobacter pylori and in wound management. Thus the continued use of honey depends on consumers liking the taste and on it having the image of a natural, wholesome product. Consumer perception is thus of paramount importance. Consumer education is therefore a high priority. Some consumers may not realize how many different sorts of honey there are with very different tastes. They may have rejected all honey because they did not like the taste of one. The quality of a particular honey must be consistent. Specialty honeys must be recognizable to the consumer who has developed a taste for them.

Storing Honey
Honey stored in sealed containers can remain stable for decades and even centuries. However, honey is susceptible to physical and chemical changes during storage; it tends to darken and lose its aroma and flavor. For practical purposes, a shelf life of two years is often stated.

Always store honey at room temperature away from excessive heat. Do not store honey in the refrigerator: excessive heat or cold will cause honey to crystallize. Processed honey should be stored between 64 and 75 degrees; temperature for unprocessed honey is below 50 degrees.

If your honey should crystallize, place it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until it returns to liquid. You can also microwave 1 cup of honey in a microwave-safe container on high 2 to 3 minutes or until crystals dissolve. Stir every 30 seconds, and do not boil or scorch.

Forms of Honey
Liquid Honey
Free of visible crystals, liquid honey is extracted from the honeycomb by centrifugal force, gravity or straining. Because liquid honey mixes easily into a variety of foods, it's especially convenient for cooking and baking. Most of the honey produced in the United States is sold in the liquid form.

Whipped (or Creamed) Honey
While all honey will crystallize in time, whipped honey (also known as creamed honey or sugared honey) is brought to market in a crystallized state. The crystallization is controlled so that, at room temperature, the honey can be spread like butter.

Comb Honey
Comb honey is honey that comes as it was produced in the honeybees' wax comb. The comb is also edible.

Cut Comb
Cut comb honey is honey that has been packaged with chunks of the honeycomb in the jar.

Honey is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture into seven color categories: Water white, extra white, white, extra light amber, light amber, amber and dark amber. The light colors are mild in flavor and get more robust with the darker colors.

Approximately 200 million pounds of honey are produced each year in the United States with over 300 types of honey produced.

A sampling of flavors include:

The Digestion Process
The main difference in behavior between sucrose and the complex sugars in honey is the manner in which the body absorbs them.

Sucrose is absorbed via osmosis. It simply enters the bloodstream, penetrating directly through membranes when it is being digested. The implication is that large amounts of sugar can rapidly enter the system. This rapid entry can cause an over-production of insulin by the pancreas, resulting in a sugar "high" (quick burning of the sugar in the system). A crash back to lower levels of sugar is then likely to occur.

The complex sugars contained in honey are absorbed by a process known as "active transport." While the term "active" may seem to denote that this should occur quickly, the opposite is true. Since the transport of the sugars through membranes into the bloodstream is accomplished by an actual carrying agent (a chemical that binds the sugar), the speed with which it is absorbed is regulated by the availability of the transport agent. Therefore, complex sugars move into the bloodstream at a slower rate and are less likely to cause an over-stimulation of insulin production or large peaks and valleys in the insulin/sugar curve.

WHAT IS QUALITY?
"Adulteration with cheaper sugars brings down the price and the natural value of the honey," says Dr. Joseph Irudayaraj, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering. "Consumers expect a natural product with nutraceutical properties, so added sugar does not supply good service to purchasers."

Those who wish to adulterate honey use beet sugar invert because it has a mixture of sugars -- fructose, glucose and sucrose -- similar to that found in honey. Beet sugar is less expensive and increases the volume of honey. However, because the sugar compositions are so similar, determining if foreign sugars are part of the composition is difficult.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From the Honey Board

New Study Suggests Honey Can Boost Endurance Performance in Athletes!

Orlando, April 4 -- A new study presented today at the annual Experimental Biology meeting indicates that using honey as a carbohydrate source during exercise significantly improved performance and power during endurance cycling trials. In the quest for that "extra advantage," endurance athletes at all levels turn to biologically available carbohydrate sources, such as the many "sports gels" on the market, to fuel strenuous exercise.

SWEET IDEA HELPS FIGHT TOOTH DECAY

You might be sweet on this honey of an idea.

Peter Molan, a biochemist and director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, says selected honeys can stop plaque-forming bacteria in teeth and gums from growing. The honeys work to reduce acid in your mouth and stop the production of dextran, a gummy substance that helps plaque stick to your teeth. The result is fewer cavities!

Suggestions as to what you can do to promote your honey sales - if you're already on the shelf

Have an in-store cooking demonstration or honey tasting. There are still many consumers who don't know about the numerous honey varieties available. Have in-store drawings for plush honey bears or other relevant prizes such as NHB aprons or baseball hats. Specials and eye-catching displays often work wonders in increasing sales. Remember to locate demonstrations in high-volume areas such as milk, soft drink or bread areas. And keep in mind that bright, bold packaging and shelf displays, as well as end-of-aisle placement, demand attention!

Sponsor a kid's bees and honey trivia contest or a coloring contest. The NHB has loads of fun stuff for kids including recipes, clip-art and trivia.

Enlist local producers to talk about the health and taste benefits of honey. Cooperate with other agricultural producers (such as fruit growers) in your area to create menu ideas for shoppers. The NHB has a cookbook full of recipes using fruits and vegetables.

Be sure to contact your local media in advance to let them know about your demonstrations and programs.

Suggestions for those still trying to get on the shelf

Learn how the high-volume marketplace works. Familiarize yourself with publications such as Supermarket News and Progressive Grocer.

Ask yourself some tough questions. What features make your product better than your competitors? What is a realistic estimate of how much honey you can expect to sell? Do you need UPC coding? Is your packaging appealing? Study your competitors and learn from their successes and mistakes.

Study the outlets you plan to approach. Who are the decision-makers? Do they like to buy product directly or from distributors? Will your product add value to their store? How do they do business? What types of customers does the store attract? What products have been most successful? Can you position your honey appropriately?

Present a polished presentation. Buying committees accept very few new products each year even though thousands are presented. Be sure you know how and with whom to follow up after your presentation.

Finally, remember that it's five times more expensive to get a new customer than to keep an existing one. Continue to provide good service to your existing accounts before you go looking for new ones!