Episode 12: Honey...the ancient sweet made by bees (and why it’s one of the most faked foods on earth)

Episode DescriptionHoney is one of the rare foods we eat that’s essentially a finished, shelf-stable product made by another species. Bees do the work, we take the credit. Join me as we dive deep into the world of honey exploring its history, process, health benefits and more!In this episodeThe oldest known evidence of humans harvesting honeyWhy bees make honey  Who does what in the hive: queen, drones, workersHow honey is made from nectar  How honey is extracted from comb Why honey tastes different  Raw vs “regular” honey, filtering and why crystallization is normalManuka honey: what UMF means and why it’s so expensiveHoney fraud: why it’s one of the most counterfeited foods and what tests are actually reliableHealth evidence Connect with NohaTopic requests: [email protected] the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Noha on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Learn more about working with Noha ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ References mentioned in the episodeJoint Research Centre, European Commission. (2023). Food fraud: How genuine is your honey?  European Commission, EU Agri-Food Fraud Network. (2023). EU coordinated action “From the Hives” (Honey 2021–2022).  European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). (2023). No money for fake honey – From investigation to legislation. Atlas Obscura. (2021). A 7,500-Year-Old Cave Painting of Humans Gathering Honey.Best Bees. (2022). Hive Hierarchy: Drone Bee, Worker Bee, and Queen Bee. Cochrane. Oduwole, O., et al. (2018). Honey for acute cough in children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2026). Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit: Honey before 12 months. UMF Honey Association. (n.d.). UMF Certification Comparison.  Tashkandi, H. (2021). Honey in wound healing: An updated review.  Chrysostomou, D., et al. (2024). Medical-Grade Honey Is a Versatile Wound Care Product for the Elderly. It’s Never Just Food is hosted by Noha Gerges and is operated by 17928238 Canada Inc. This podcast is for general educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical, nutritional, or professional advice.