Does Pasteurized Honey Lose its Benefits?

November 18, 2025 •

4 min read

While honey is known for its natural health properties, commercial pasteurization often applies high heat during processing. This critical step, done to improve shelf life and appearance, leads many to question: does pasteurized honey lose its benefits? The short answer is yes, extensive heat treatment can significantly diminish the natural enzymes, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds found in raw honey.

Quick Summary

Pasteurization of honey uses high heat to improve its color and texture and extend shelf life, but this process destroys key nutrients. Raw honey, in contrast, retains natural enzymes, antioxidants, and pollen, offering more health benefits, though proper storage is necessary.

Key Points

Enzymes are Lost: High heat pasteurization significantly degrades or destroys beneficial enzymes like glucose oxidase and invertase found in raw honey.
Antioxidants Decrease: The heating process reduces the total antioxidant content, including valuable flavonoids and phenolic acids.
Pollen is Filtered Out: Ultrafiltration, often combined with pasteurization, removes natural bee pollen and propolis, which contain extra vitamins and minerals.
Extended Shelf Life at a Cost: The main purpose of honey pasteurization is to extend shelf life and prevent natural crystallization, not to increase safety for healthy adults.
Safe for Infants is a Myth: Both raw and pasteurized honey contain botulism spores and are unsafe for infants under one year old.
Raw Honey is More Potent: For maximizing natural health benefits, raw, unheated, and unfiltered honey is the superior choice, retaining more of its bioactive compounds.
Pasteurized is Not Worthless: While less potent, pasteurized honey is still a better sweetener than refined sugar and contains some nutrients.

Understanding the Pasteurization Process

Pasteurization in honey is an industrial process designed for cosmetic appeal and commercial viability, not primarily for safety, unlike with milk. Honey's natural low water content and acidic nature make it inherently shelf-stable and resistant to bacterial growth. For honey, heating involves a flash-heating procedure, often exceeding 70°C (158°F) for a short period, followed by rapid cooling. This process is combined with ultrafiltration, which removes air bubbles, debris, and pollen to produce a clear, smooth, and uniform liquid that stays runny for longer.

The Downsides of Heat and Ultrafiltration

The high temperatures and fine filtration used in commercial pasteurization and processing have several drawbacks that affect honey's beneficial components. The very components that give raw honey its value are often sensitive to heat and filtration, leading to a diminished nutritional profile in the final product.

Key Components Lost During Pasteurization

When honey is subjected to high heat, the delicate, biologically active compounds it contains begin to break down. The degree of loss depends on the temperature and duration of heating.

Enzymes: Raw honey contains enzymes like glucose oxidase, which creates hydrogen peroxide and gives honey its natural antimicrobial properties, and diastase and invertase, which help with digestion. Temperatures above 40°C (104°F) can begin to destroy invertase, while pasteurization temperatures (145-160°F) can degrade these beneficial enzymes by 60% or more, significantly reducing honey's natural antibacterial action.
Antioxidants: Honey contains phenolic acids and flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants. Research shows that heating can significantly reduce the total phenolic content and overall antioxidant capacity of honey. Studies have found that raw honey can contain up to 4.3 times more antioxidants than commercially processed honey.
Pollen and Propolis: Ultrafiltration is often used alongside pasteurization to achieve a clearer texture. This process removes naturally occurring bee pollen and propolis. Bee pollen is a source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, while propolis is a resinous mixture with anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. The removal of these components strips the honey of these extra health-boosting compounds.

Comparison Table: Pasteurized vs. Raw Honey


Feature	Pasteurized Honey	Raw Honey
Processing	Heated to high temperatures (approx. 70°C+) and ultrafiltered.	Unheated (max. 35-40°C) and only lightly filtered.
Appearance	Clear, smooth, and stays liquid for a long time.	Cloudy, opaque, and may contain fine particles.
Nutritional Content	Lower levels of beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and trace minerals due to heat.	Higher levels of enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Flavor	Milder, less complex flavor profile as delicate floral notes are lost.	Rich, full, and unique flavor reflecting the floral source.
Crystallization	Crystallizes very slowly due to heat and filtration.	Crystallizes naturally over time; a sign of purity.
Health Benefits	Retains simple sugar content and some minimal benefits, but less potent.	Enhanced antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties.

The Remaining Benefits of Pasteurized Honey

Even with the loss of many delicate compounds, pasteurized honey is not entirely devoid of benefits, particularly when compared to highly processed sweeteners like table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. It still offers a natural source of carbohydrates and a distinct flavor. The primary components—fructose and glucose—remain largely unaffected by the heating process, providing caloric value. For those who prefer a liquid, easy-to-use honey and are not primarily seeking the therapeutic properties of raw honey, the pasteurized version can be a perfectly acceptable choice. Additionally, for cooking and baking at high temperatures, where the delicate enzymes and antioxidants would be destroyed regardless, pasteurized honey functions just as well.

Is Raw Honey Always Safer or Better?

While raw honey is generally considered more beneficial nutritionally, it's not without considerations. Some people, particularly those with compromised immune systems, may need to be cautious with unpasteurized products. It's crucial to note that both raw and pasteurized honey are unsafe for infants under one year old due to the risk of infant botulism, as the spores can survive pasteurization temperatures. Sourcing from a reputable beekeeper is the best way to ensure the quality and purity of raw honey. For most healthy adults, however, raw honey represents a more potent source of natural compounds. The health benefits associated with raw honey, including its antibacterial properties and antioxidant capacity, are well-documented.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the answer to "does pasteurized honey lose its benefits?" is unequivocally yes, particularly regarding its most delicate and biologically active components. The high-heat treatment used for commercial appeal and extended shelf life significantly degrades heat-sensitive enzymes and antioxidants, while ultrafiltration removes valuable bee pollen and propolis. While pasteurized honey is still a healthier alternative to refined sugar, it offers a reduced nutritional profile compared to its raw counterpart. For those seeking the full spectrum of honey's natural health properties, choosing raw, minimally processed honey is the superior option, as long as it is stored and consumed appropriately. Ultimately, the choice depends on consumer priorities: convenience and longevity versus maximum nutritional potency.

Mayo Clinic's guide to honey offers further insight into its uses and properties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, most honey varieties found in supermarkets have been pasteurized and ultrafiltered to give them a smooth, clear appearance and prevent crystallization.

No, heating honey does not make it toxic. Some studies show that heating can increase the level of HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), which is not considered a toxin, but rather an indicator of overheating or age.

Honey is pasteurized for commercial reasons, primarily to destroy sugar-tolerant yeast cells, delay natural crystallization, improve its color, and create a clearer, more uniform texture for consumers.

If you are seeking the maximum nutritional and therapeutic benefits, raw, unpasteurized honey is the better option. If you prioritize a longer-lasting, smoother, and more consistently liquid product, pasteurized honey is fine.

Raw honey often appears cloudy or opaque due to the presence of bee pollen, propolis, and other particles. It also crystallizes naturally over time, and a fine, gritty texture is a tell-tale sign of minimal processing.

The antioxidants in honey, particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids, are susceptible to heat degradation. Studies have shown that pasteurization can reduce the overall antioxidant capacity of honey.

Temperatures above 40°C (104°F) begin to cause degradation of some heat-sensitive enzymes. The higher the temperature and longer the exposure, the more significant the loss of beneficial compounds becomes.

Pasteurized honey retains some antibacterial properties due to its high sugar content and low water activity. However, the heat destroys the glucose oxidase enzyme, which is responsible for much of raw honey's potent antibacterial action via hydrogen peroxide.