Choosing a sweetener for a commercial product is about more than reaching a target sweetness level. The sweetener can also influence flavor, texture, moisture, color, processing, and the ingredient’s appearance on the finished product label. For manufacturers considering honey as a natural sweetener, the key is to understand how it fits into the overall formulation… Read more »
A small change in honey color may not seem significant until it changes the appearance of a finished product. For food manufacturers, color is more than a visual characteristic. It can be part of an ingredient specification that helps maintain consistency across production runs. Because honey naturally varies, manufacturers need to understand what drives those… Read more »
A wholesale honey supplier can meet your price target and still be the wrong fit for your operation. For food manufacturers, dependable sourcing also requires consistent specifications, documented traceability, quality controls, technical knowledge, and the ability to supply the right honey when production needs it. The right supplier should be able to answer questions about… Read more »
Honey adulteration is not only a problem for the honey industry. When an ingredient’s identity, origin, or composition cannot be verified, food manufacturers can face quality, formulation, labeling, and sourcing risks that extend well beyond the purchase order. For procurement, quality assurance, and R&D teams, the concern is simple: the honey entering a formulation needs… Read more »
Honey works best in product development when it does more than just sweeten. For food and beverage brands, honey can improve flavor, support texture, enhance moisture retention, and contribute to cleaner ingredient labels all at the same time. That is why more manufacturers are exploring honey not simply as a replacement for sugar, but as… Read more »
For many food manufacturers, sweeteners are no longer judged by sweetness alone. Today’s R&D teams are evaluating how ingredients perform across texture, shelf life, flavor, label appeal, and overall product experience. That shift is one reason honey continues to gain attention as a functional sweetener rather than just a sugar replacement. Honey brings more to… Read more »
The recently updated food pyramid signals a meaningful shift in how nutrition experts, food manufacturers, and consumers think about food. Rather than focusing solely on calories or macronutrients, the new guidance emphasizes food quality, ingredient integrity, and the level of processing before food reaches the plate. At its core, this shift is not just about… Read more »
Walk down the honey aisle, and you’ll see the word “raw” everywhere. Raw honey, raw and unfiltered, raw local, raw organic. Raw honey drives sales. It sounds simple, but the truth is that the term “raw” is not regulated in the United States. That creates confusion for buyers and plenty of room for undisclosed definitions… Read more »
You know that moment when you grab a honey bottle, a box of cereal, a beverage off the shelf because the label says, “honey,” and you want to believe it? Most shoppers do.And that trust is exactly what adulterated honey banks on. Counterfeit honey isn’t a fringe issue or a rare scandal. It’s a persistent,… Read more »
Behind every jar of pure honey is a story of hard work, care, and dedication from the people who make it all possible: the beekeepers. They are the backbone of the honey industry and play a vital role in maintaining both bee populations and the quality of the honey that reaches our tables. But their… Read more »
When considering what makes a great baked product, taste, texture, and shelf life should come to mind. In commercial baking, finding ingredients that hit all those notes while still aligning with consumer trends is no easy task. That’s where honey comes in. Whether it’s chewy granola bars, crisp cereals, or soft snack cakes, honey plays… Read more »
This year’s IFT FIRST in Chicago gathered thousands of food scientists, startups, and global brands under one roof to tackle some of the toughest questions facing our industry: What does “clean label” really mean in 2025? How are new regulations shifting ingredient strategies? And how will emerging technologies redefine what—and how—we eat? For companies committed… Read more »