Not all honey is equal. Though all real honey comes from bees, it is not all bottled the same. Honey labels will state the honey as raw, pure or natural. This can get confusing. Ever stood there looking at “natural honey”, “pure honey”, “creamy honey”, “real honey”, “raw honey” on the honey jars and just scratched your head? Not sure which honey to buy? Hopefully, we will be able to help answer some of these questions.

Lets start with the basics, honey can be pure without being raw. Raw honey is typically pure and natural, but pure and natural honey is not always raw. Honey can be pure without being raw.

If you purchase natural honey, the honey bought does not include any added color, artificial flavor, or synthetic substance, but it is probably processed or heated. Processing or heating honey will cause it to lose some or all of the natural healthy benefits. Pure honey, has no additional ingredients, such as sugar, corn syrup, or artificial or natural flavoring have been added. Pure honey may be listed as clover, wildflower, bush, or manuka honey, depending where the bees have got their nectar from. The confusion begins when pure honey is sold as containing pollen and active enzymes, which it may well do. But pure honey is not raw, unfiltered honey unless it actually states that it is on the label. So, if it is not on the label… the honey has been processed. Most processed honey are treated to prevent fermentation and to preserve it in a liquid state to prevent crystallization. Raw honey is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and packed with good-for-you antioxidants, vitamins, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. With raw honey any form of heating is avoided to ensure all the natural vitamins and living enzymes and other nutritional elements are preserved. That’s why raw honey is special.

In summary:

• Natural means no artificial additives.
• Pure means no additives whatsoever (even natural ones).
• Raw means no additives or processing: neither heated nor filtered.

All of the honey bottled and sold by Ninja Honey Bees LLC is raw honey. This same raw honey is also used as a natural sweetner in our honey blended products.