07/11/2025
When someone asks us "is your honey organic?" I get excited. Excited to educate.
Did you know that the USDA has no standards to certify honey as organic?
Since the USDA has no standard for organic honey, not a single US beekeeper can legally label or tell consumers their honey is organic.
Now you're probably thinking... But Sara, I see organic honey all the time at grocery stores. 🤔
It's true. You do. And that USDA organic logo is a quick way to identify imported honey.
Since the USDA has no organic standards for honey, they recognizes organic certifications from other countries for honey imported into the United States. This means that honey labeled as "USDA Organic" is imported from countries like Brazil, Mexico, or India, which have their own organic certification standards for honey.
Another fun marketing ploy I often see ....
"US Grade A Honey"
At first glance you would probably think US honey. Wrong. It is just a scale to give a grade to the honey based on clarity, color, absence of defects, flavor, and aroma. If you turn to the back of the bottle, somewhere in tiny print it will say the origin of the honey. Usually Brazil or Argentina, places far away from the United States.
So what do you want to look for when buying honey? Raw, Unfiltered, and Local to your area (a 50 mile radius or less is ideal).
Honey jars on most grocery store shelves likely won't tell you if the honey is filtered, but if it is unfiltered and raw it will likely be displayed proudly.
What's the difference between filtered and unfiltered honey?
Filtered honey is heated and strained to remove particles like pollen and wax, resulting in a clear, smooth product. It will likely never crystallize and the enzymes nutrients have been destroyed. In some cases it is even "ultra filtered". Ultra-filtered honey removes the pollen. At that point is it even still considered honey? 😱
But I digress. Not all grocery honey is bad. Know your beekeeper. Buy small. Support local. Buy American honey. Do great things 🍯
