Pasteurisation

Definition

Unlike milk pasteurisation, honey pasteurisation is not primarily a food-safety measure. Honey's low water content and acidity already prevent the growth of the organisms that concern us in milk. Heating dissolves existing micro-crystals so the honey stays clear and pourable for longer, and reduces viscosity so it can be filtered fast. It also degrades aroma compounds and enzymes and raises hydroxymethylfurfural.

Where the word gets used loosely

Sometimes presented as making honey safer. It does not address the one genuine microbiological concern — Clostridium botulinum spores, which are why honey is not given to infants under a year — because those spores survive it.

Guide records that discuss this

• Raw, filtered and processed honeyWhat actually happens between the hive and the jar, which of it changes the honey, and why the word 'raw' carries less information than it appears to.