Raw, filtered and processed honey

The journey from comb to jar

1. 1Uncapping and extractionWax cappings are sliced off and the frames spun in a centrifuge, throwing the honey out against the drum wall. Thixotropic honeys — heather, manuka — will not come out this way and must be pressed or agitated loose first, which is a large part of why they cost what they do.
2. 2Straining or filteringEverything from a coarse mesh that catches wax fragments and the occasional bee, through to pressure filtration fine enough to remove pollen grains. This single step is the biggest fork in the road, and it is largely invisible on the label.
3. 3WarmingOptional, and a matter of degree. Gentle warming to around 35-40 °C makes honey easier to move and settle. Pasteurisation at 60-70 °C dissolves micro-crystals to delay granulation and drops viscosity so honey can be filtered fast.
4. 4Settling and bottlingHoney is left to allow air bubbles and fine particles to rise, then jarred. Creamed honey is instead seeded with fine crystals and held cool while it sets under control.

What each step costs

The problem with the word 'raw'

In most jurisdictions, including the EU and the United States, 'raw' has no legal definition applied to honey. There is no maximum temperature, no filtration threshold, and nothing to breach. A producer can warm honey substantially and label it raw without breaking any rule.

That does not make the word useless. From a beekeeper who will tell you what they did, it is a meaningful description of gentle handling. On a supermarket jar it is a marketing term. The honest position is that 'raw' describes an intention rather than a standard, and the checkable proxies are pollen content, aroma and whether the honey granulates on its own schedule.