Search Here

The next time you buy honey, make sure it is real. According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are several honey products that are made with added syrups or sweeteners. Even though these sweetened blends of honey have been on the market for years, the FDA has issued new guidelines that will require companies to label all honey products that are not pure honey or are not made with pure honey.

Even though honey and sugar have almost the equal of calories, raw pure honey is more beneficial for the body. Raw honey is mainly made up of sugar, but also contains minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, and sodium chlorine. In addition, several studies in the past have found that raw honey might have anti-inflammatory benefits.

"With raw honey you might get more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties. Ultimately, though, the way our bodies break down the two is the same," said Alicia Romano, a clinical registered dietitian at the Frances Stern Nutrition Center at Tufts Medical Center reported by Boston.

The FDA's new regulations would insure that people who buy honey for these extra benefits would indeed get them. The guidelines are in the process of being finalized. When finished, it will instruct companies on how they should properly label their honey products and their products that use honey as an ingredient.

"It sounds like this move from the FDA is trying to keep with the trend of keeping foods in their least processed forms, while taking away additional additives and processing. People are trying to get away from that now," Romano added.

The FDA stated, according to HuffPost, that the new proposal was created "to advise the regulated food industry on the proper labeling of honey and honey products to help ensure that honey and honey products are not adulterated or misbranded."

Companies have 60 days to comment on the agency's proposal before the guidelines will be finalized.