Jonathan W White

The objective of this review is to examine the use and relative value of measurement of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and diastase contents of honey in order to obtain objective information relative to its quality. Quality of honey (as in many other commodities) is subjective. For the purpose at hand, we consider the highest quality honey to be that in the comb. To place it in the market requires various processing operations to stabilize it against fermentation, remove undesired extraneous material incidental to its production and extraction, and present it in the desired liquid or semisolid state. These processing steps generally require exposure to heat; additionally, extent and type of storage of honey at any point of its progress from comb to consumer may also contribute to quality loss.