Inversion
The enzymatic splitting of sucrose into glucose and fructose — what makes honey chemically different from nectar.
Definition
Nectar is dominated by sucrose. Bees add invertase during ripening, which splits sucrose into its two component simple sugars, and finished honey contains very little sucrose as a result. This is the step that makes honey a different substance rather than merely concentrated nectar, and it is why honey is hygroscopic, browns at a lower temperature than table sugar, and behaves differently in baking.
Where the word gets used loosely
A high sucrose figure in a honey analysis is a red flag for adulteration or for honey harvested before the bees finished ripening it, which is why Codex and the EU directive set a sucrose limit.
See also
Other chemistry terms
Sources
Sources
- Standard for Honey (CXS 12-1981) — Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO (1981) · Standards document Link
- The Biology of the Honey Bee — Harvard University Press (1987) · Textbook
How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.