Is Grocery Store Honey Healthy? The Sweet Truth About Processed Honey

December 23, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2011 study, over 75% of honey samples tested from U.S. grocery stores had their pollen filtered out, raising questions about purity. This makes many consumers wonder, is grocery store honey healthy, or are you just buying a simple sugar syrup with less nutritional value?

Quick Summary

Grocery store honey is often processed, removing beneficial compounds like antioxidants and pollen. Unprocessed raw honey retains more nutrients, but all honey is high in sugar and should be consumed in moderation.

Key Points

Processed honey lacks nutrients: Pasteurization and ultrafiltration strip commercial grocery store honey of beneficial pollen, antioxidants, and enzymes.
Adulteration is a risk: Some cheaper commercial honey may be mixed with sugar syrups like corn syrup to reduce costs.
All honey is high in sugar: Regardless of processing, honey is calorie-dense and should be consumed in moderation due to its high sugar content.
Check for 'raw' or 'local': The best way to find purer, healthier honey is to seek out raw, unfiltered options, often found at farmers' markets.
Infants should never have honey: Due to the risk of infant botulism, honey should not be given to children under one year old.

The Processing of Grocery Store Honey

Most of the honey found on supermarket shelves undergoes significant processing before it reaches your cart. The primary goal of this processing is to create a visually appealing, consistent product with an extended shelf life. This often involves two key steps: pasteurization and ultrafiltration.

Pasteurization

Pasteurization involves heating the honey to high temperatures to kill unwanted yeast and delay crystallization. While this process makes the honey smoother and extends its liquid state, it also destroys many of the heat-sensitive, beneficial compounds naturally present in raw honey, such as enzymes and some vitamins.

Ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration is a more aggressive process that removes fine particles like pollen, beeswax, and propolis. This results in a clear, transparent product that is aesthetically pleasing to consumers. However, this filtration strips the honey of its bee pollen, a highly nutritious component containing amino acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. In fact, an unofficial study found that over 75% of commercial honey brands sampled contained no pollen.

The Potential for Adulteration

A more troubling concern with some commercial grocery store honey is adulteration. Adulteration is the practice of adding cheaper sweeteners, such as corn syrup or brown rice syrup, to the honey to cut costs. This means some products labeled simply as "honey" may not be 100% pure. While stricter regulations exist in some countries, adulteration remains a concern globally, making transparency difficult for consumers. A sign of potential adulteration is an unusually low price, which may reflect the presence of added fillers rather than pure honey.

The Nutritional Difference: Raw vs. Processed Honey

The contrast in processing methods leads to a significant difference in nutritional profiles between raw and processed honey. The minimal heating and filtration of raw honey preserve its natural richness, while commercial processing diminishes it.

Here is a comparison table outlining the key differences:


Feature	Raw Honey (Typically Healthier)	Processed Honey (Typical Grocery Store)
Processing	Unpasteurized, lightly filtered.	Pasteurized and often ultra-filtered.
Nutrients	Contains beneficial antioxidants, enzymes, pollen, and propolis.	Many beneficial compounds destroyed by heat and filtration.
Appearance	Opaque, cloudy, often contains small particles.	Clear, smooth, and transparent.
Crystallization	Crystallizes naturally over time due to higher pollen content.	Stays liquid for longer due to high-heat processing.
Purity	Less likely to be adulterated, especially if from a local beekeeper.	Higher risk of adulteration with added sweeteners.
Flavor	More distinct, reflecting its specific floral origin.	Milder, more uniform taste.

The Realities of Honey as a Sweetener

While raw honey contains more beneficial compounds, it is still fundamentally a sugar. One tablespoon of honey contains about 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar, comparable to table sugar. This means that regardless of the type, honey should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. For individuals concerned about blood sugar levels, such as those with diabetes, honey's impact is still notable, despite having a slightly lower glycemic index than refined sugar. The primary benefit of honey lies in replacing less nutritious sweeteners, not in adding large quantities to your daily intake.

How to Choose Healthy Honey

When shopping for honey, you can make a more informed choice by looking for specific indicators of quality.

Look for 'Raw' or 'Unfiltered' Labels: This indicates the honey has undergone minimal processing, preserving more of its natural enzymes and antioxidants.
Consider Local Honey: Purchasing from local beekeepers or farmers' markets often ensures minimal processing and gives you a product with its natural pollen intact.
Examine the Appearance: Raw honey is typically cloudy and may crystallize over time. If a product remains perfectly clear and liquid for a long period, it may have been heavily processed.
Check the Price: Very cheap honey can be a red flag for adulteration with lower-cost syrups.
Research the Source: For commercial brands, look up reviews or check for certifications that can provide an extra layer of assurance about its purity and quality.

Conclusion: Is Grocery Store Honey Healthy?

Grocery store honey, especially the processed and ultra-filtered varieties, offers less nutritional value and fewer health benefits than its raw counterpart. While not inherently harmful for most people when consumed in moderation, its beneficial compounds like pollen, enzymes, and antioxidants are often significantly reduced or eliminated during processing. The risk of adulteration with added syrups also makes raw, local honey a more reliable choice for purity. Ultimately, the healthiest option depends on your priorities: a more nutrient-dense product from a trusted local source, or simply a sweetening agent for occasional use.

Healthline's Take on Raw Honey

For more detailed information on the benefits and risks of raw honey, consider reading the Healthline article "8 Raw Honey Benefits for Health".

Frequently Asked Questions

Processed honey is heated through pasteurization and ultra-filtered to remove particles like pollen and beeswax. This gives it a clear, smooth appearance and prevents it from crystallizing as quickly.

Most commercially processed and filtered honey found in grocery stores has had its pollen removed during ultrafiltration. Raw honey, however, will contain pollen.

While honey has a slightly lower glycemic index than refined sugar, it still significantly impacts blood sugar levels. Diabetics should consume it in moderation and consult a doctor.

While some adulteration is hard to detect, red flags include an extremely low price, unusual flavor, and failing to crystallize over a long period. Buying from a trusted local source is the best way to ensure purity.

Yes, high heat can destroy many of the honey's beneficial enzymes and reduce its antioxidant capacity. For maximum benefits, it's best to use honey in its raw state.

Generally, darker honey varieties like buckwheat tend to contain higher concentrations of antioxidants compared to lighter varieties, though honey is not a major source of vitamins and minerals regardless of color.

The main risk, particularly for infants under one year old, is infant botulism from bacteria spores that can be present in both raw and processed honey. This risk does not apply to older children and adults with developed digestive systems.