The updated standards will note that True Source Certified Honey whether imported to North America or purchased directly from North American beekeepers is tested for authenticity by an accredited laboratory at some point in the supply chain using either EA/LC-IRMS and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) profiling or EA/LC-IRMS and High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) analysis. This is in addition to the long-established pollen analysis requirements for shipments of honey from countries identified as high-risk.

The National Honey Board Consumer Attitudes & Usage Study 2020 asked consumers to choose their favorite sweetener from several common ones, including white sugar, brown sugar, several non-calorie sweeteners, raw sugar, monkfruit, and maple syrup. Honey came out on top for the first time.

The National Honey Board’s annual Queen’s Choice Awards results are in, and brands small and large took home honors as the best food and beverage products made with honey in the last year. Winning brands included Pepperidge Farm, Simple Mills, Godiva, Teakoe, Green Bee and more.

The 2019 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Food and Health Survey reported that limiting or reducing sugar in the diet, along with eating more fruits and vegetables, topped the dietary changes consumers were making.

Prepared Foods talks sugar reduction and sweeteners with Elizabeth Sisel, manager of taste modulation at Imbibe Inc. Imbibe is a Niles, Ill., beverage development company focused on the formulation, customization and commercialization of cutting-edge beverage products.

Many functional beverages use ingredients that are great for you—but may lack appealing taste. Not only does honey mask the unpleasant flavor of these ingredients, but it also brings familiarity to functional products that people may otherwise be unfamiliar with. 

Finding the sweet spot for taste, texture and nutritional profile is a challenge for beverage brands because consumer sentiments about desired product attributes are changing faster than ever.

Florida Honey Pot Farms is combining CBD and home-grown Florida honey with more than one favorite terpene strain, giving each of their Bee Chill, Bee Fluid and Bee Relieved collections a distinct smell, taste and differentiating effect.