SJL welcomes local freelancer Deb McCarson today as guest poster. Deb writes for South Jersey Mom, The Women of Gloucester County, and other publications.
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Local honey farmers had a recent victory with the indictment of two of the United States’ largest honey producers accused in a nationwide honey laundering scandal, dubbed “Honeygate.” According to the US department of justice, “two domestic honey processing companies have been charged with federal crimes in connection with a nationwide investigation of illegal importations of honey from China that was mislabeled as coming from other countries to avoid antidumping duties or was adulterated with antibiotics not approved for use in honey.”
For the local honey farmer, this is great news. Beekeeper Ed Ridgeway of Shepherd’s Watch Apiary in Mickleton explains, “Most of the honey sold in stores isn’t even honey. It’s often cut with sugar water or corn syrup and stripped of its pollen.” According to the FDA, any product that has been stripped of its pollen is no longer considered honey. This “fake honey” has been finding its way onto US grocery store shelves for years. Because it is often sold to distributors below fair market value, local honey farmers find it hard to compete.
Stripping pollen from honey is one way Chinese importers circumvented the law. Removing pollen removes any way to trace the honey’s origin and to determine if it comes from a legitimate source. When the US imposed high antidumping duties on Chinese honey to deter unfair market practices, Chinese suppliers simply mislabeled their honey and rerouted it through other countries. Tragically, US companies were knowingly and willingly importing this illegal honey.
This illegal activity not only defrauded the US of millions of dollars in antidumping duties and restricted commerce for local farmers, it also robbed the honey consumer of any health benefits of eating honey. Alternative health specialists have long proposed that eating local honey provides immunological benefits to allergy sufferers. Mr. Ridgeway explains, “Eating local honey provides a dose of local pollen which acts as a vaccine against allergens.” A study published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology assessed the effects of the pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey and found that patients using the birch pollen honey experienced a significant reduction in allergy symptoms.
There are other health benefits of honey. According to Lindsey Duncan, one of the world’s leading experts on super foods and a member of Dr. Oz’s expert panel, honey is a “powerful food, beauty aide, and topical antibiotic.”
Quite simply, buying local honey makes a lot of sense. When you buy local honey, you are supporting local honey farmers who produce high-quality honey and sustain the honeybee population needed to pollinate fruit and vegetable crops. Supporting your local honey farmers helps sustain personal health and the agricultural economy.
You can purchase local honey and hive products from Shepherd’s Watch Apiary simply by stopping at Stecher’s Country Store in Swedesboro, NJ or call ahead to pick up directly from the farm. Online orders can be placed at Shepherd’s Watch Apiary .
Try these recipes with your local honey
- Parmesan Baked Bananas with Honey & Cinnamon
- Roasted Squash Soup with Crab and Zucchini
- Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris with local honey
Image credit: Bob Peterson
