Everything About Buying Honey: Avoid Fake & Choose Genuine
Buying honey used to be easy back then. You just walk into a store, pick a jar off the shelf, and that was it. But now, as more people are turning to honey for its health benefits, there’s a flood of products claiming to be “pure,” “natural,” or “organic.”
And so, it became difficult than ever to buy genuine honey. You can end up with sugar syrup, over-processed chemicals, or honey from questionable origins. It not only cheats you and raises health concerns but also harms the local beekeepers.
That’s why, Swan Valley Honey came with our expert guide about buying honey.
Because, we’ve spent generations perfecting our craft & know everything about honey. Based in Perth, Western Australia, we offer natural 100% Australian honey. Sourced directly from pristine Perth bushlands & contain the real flavour of WA.
Let’s make you a quality testing pro. So, you can’t be fooled by any imposter & only gets the premium raw honey in its purest form.
Why There’s So Much Fuss About Buying Honey?
Honey is among the top three most adulterated foods worldwide. (Source)
Not much time has passed when Chinese fake versions made the news. Those highly harmful chemicals being sold as “honey” contained antibiotic & lead. Australian leading brands have also faced accusations for blending cheaper imported honey with local products.
So now, there’s a growing wave of concern over honey quality. Stats show that up to one in five honey samples labelled as Australian contain additives. Globally, the figure is much higher, so imported brands are more unsafe than local ones.
Why does this happen? Because honey commands a premium price. It’s easier to mix in cheap sugar and ship it under a honey label than to devote years to careful hive management.
How Honey Can Be Compromised?
There are many practices that undermine authentic beekeeping and sell a product that’s harmful under the label of “nutritional”. Let’s see to how much extent honey can suffer before it lands on your spoon.
1. Blending with Syrups
Honey is mixed directly with syrups like high-fructose corn syrup or glucose. It dilutes the taste and texture & you’ll eat sugar instead of honey. Such honey varieties lack floral character and nutritional richness.
2. Feeding Bees Sugar Syrup
Some producers feed bees sugar syrup when flower sources dry up. The bees produce honey from the syrup, not nectar, a counterfeit version of genuine honey. This process bypasses the natural floral origin entirely.
3. Excessive Filtering
Beekeepers sometimes filter honey to remove pollen and microscopic debris. But this also strips away traceability, and remove the markers that show where and when the honey came from.
4. High Heat Treatment
Heating honey above 40–45 °C destroys beneficial enzymes and alters the colour and taste. It’s done to delay crystallisation or pasteurise the product. Yet this makes honey less healthy and more generic in taste.
Such attempts spread a confusion in marketplace and mistrust among consumers. No one knows how to get authentic honey without any risk. Well, we are going to teach you on that.
How to Buy Genuine Honey: 5 Things You Should Keep in Mind
So, how can you tell the difference between genuine and fake honey? Here are some beekeepers’ recommended practices when you buy honey online & instore.
1. Buy from Proven Local Producers
Okay, the first & most important tip: Always buy from local beekeepers.
Because honey from local beekeepers is often to harvest sites and dates. We place hives near Karri, Jarrah, Redgum and Mallee forests, and our customers know which hive bloom season their honey came from. When you can see the origins, you’ll be assured of quality.
2. Value Small Brands Over Mass Retailers
Supermarket honey comes from mixed sources and is blended prior to packaging. The imported versions are even more suspicious. Plus, they have many food miles on them before they reach you.
Instead, try to buy premium honey online from boutique brands. So, you can get clarity on origin, floral source and harvest methods.
3. Look Beyond Buzzwords on Labels
Labels like “natural” or “premium” or even “organic” are vague. Instead, look for authentic labels like:
- Raw Honey
- Single‑Origin
- Unfiltered
- Unheated
- Organic Raw Honey
Also Read: Raw Honey or Regular: What’s the Difference?
The grading offered by USDA can also help, but it also won’t tell you the whole story. So, don’t rely solely on the front label & read the ingredients on back. You can also research the brand’s practices & processing methods, if possible.
4. Examine Texture, Crystals & Colour
Real honey varies in texture and crystallises over time. This crystal formation is not a flaw but proof of purity. If honey stays transparent and runny, it has been homogenised or processed. Look out for:
| Trait | Real Honey | Suspicious Honey |
| Crystallisation | Happens naturally over time | Rare or never |
| Colour | Distinct by floral origin | Uniform across multiple jars |
| Texture | Smooth or grainy, but richly viscous | Thin, watery, syrup-like |
| Sediment (optional) | Tiny natural particles may remain | Fully filtered, overly clean |
5. Do Simple Home Checks
Even if you’ve already brought the honey home. The quality checks will confirm the quality & save you from health hazards.
- Water Drop Test: Place a spoon of honey into a glass of water. Genuine honey sinks and stays together. Fake honey spreads quickly and dissolves.
- Finger Test: Rub a drop between your fingers. Real honey is sticky and thick, not slippery or diluted.
- Taste Test: Real honey reveals complex flavours (floral, earthy, buttery). Fake honey tastes overly sweet and flat.
Read More at: Raw Honey vs Fake Honey | Differences & Identification Tests
Where to Find Natural 100% Australian Honey?
Not all honey labelled “Australian” is genuinely local or pure. Look for hyper-local, small-production beekeepers with:
- Clear floral sources
- Seasonal harvest notes
- Batch tracing and location data
- Quality reviews from repeat buyers
Some local honey varieties that you can ask from beekeepers are:
| Honey Variety | Description |
| Jarrah Honey | Dark, potent and rich in antioxidants |
| Karri Honey | Golden and smooth with a delicate sweetness |
| Redgum / Marri Honey | Bold, woody and rich |
| Mallee Honey | Warm, earthy notes |
| Wildflower & Floral Varieties | Seasonal blends that vary with the bloom |
Each variety reflects the unique terroir of Western Australia’s bush blooms.
5 Tips to Shop Pure Honey Online Without Getting Duped
Most people find it difficult to trust when things are online, and that’s understandable. The convenience of the internet is still new for buying natural products like honey. Here are a few practical tips from our side that can make sure you’re getting the real deal.
- Choose the local providers and small businesses with customer friendly teams.
- Read the details about the beekeepers. Make sure that hive locations, beekeeper stories, and harvest dates are transparent and trustworthy.
- Seek single-origin options that have one bloom source & no blending.
- Check customer reviews & verified testimonials, because positive feedback always signal reliability.
- Check delivery practices to verify the freshness. Choose brands that ship quickly and securely.
Always make sure that you get the quality Australian honey to protect your health & support local beekeepers.
Also Read: 11 Facts About Organic Raw Honey | Is it Good for You?
Why Clean Honey Matters for You & the Bees?
Quality honey retains its antioxidants, trace minerals, and antibacterial compounds. It supports immunity and even aids in wound healing. On the other hand, adulterated honey contains antibiotic residues, harmful additives or contaminants.
Read More at: Raw Honey Benefits | Nature’s Golden Medicine
Plus, when you buy genuine honey, you’re investing in more than taste & consumer health. You’re also supporting:
- Bee health and biodiversity
- Ethical beekeeping practices
- Ecosystem sustainability
Your purchasing choices ripple out to impact bee populations and our food systems. The more people support authentic producers, the stronger and healthier our bees become.
Plus, the Australian beekeeping industry will flourish, which in turn benefits the farmers & overall economy. Because according to Agri Futures Australia , there are 35 horticultural crops which depends directly on honeybee pollination.
So, buying local can offer far more long-term benefits along with quality assurance.
Local Beekeeping Practices That Protect Hives
In our experience raising hives across WA, we’ve seen how poor practices can strain colonies. Overharvesting, feeding unnecessary sugar syrup, using synthetic chemicals, and placing hives near pesticide-heavy crops all endanger bees.
So, at Swan Valley Honey, we:
- Harvest only when bees have surplus.
- Keep hives in remote wildflower zones from Moora to Albany.
- Never use antibiotics or chemical treatments unless absolutely required.
- Rotate hives seasonally to match flora cycles.
Hence, the honey remains pure, safe and rich in real nutrition.
Want to buy honey products online Australia?
Shop Premium Raw Honey Online from Swan Valley Honey
We bring you the best of Western Australia’s wild blossoms, with our award winning Jarrah honey & other varieties. Our family‑run operation spans two generations of beekeeping expertise.
We harvest across Karri, Jarrah, Redgum, Mallee, Yate and Wildflower zones. Every jar of our honey is:
- Harvested from a single floral source
- 100% Unfiltered and unheated
- Made from bees foraging in pristine Western Australian forests
- Packaged with care to preserve nutrients and taste
- Delivered fresh to your doorstep with transparency you can trust
Support local. Taste real.