Honey is a natural sweetener. Because of its high sugar and low moisture content, it can last for a very long time. However, contamination, improper storage, and cheap additives may shorten its shelf life.
Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners consumed by humans, with recorded use as far back as 5,500 BC. It’s also rumored to have special, long-lasting properties.
Many people have heard of jars of honey being unearthed in ancient Egyptian tombs, still as good to eat as the day they were sealed.
This article investigates why honey can last so long, and what can cause it to go bad.
Honey is a sweet, natural substance produced by bees from the nectar or secretions of plants (1, 2).
The bees suck flower nectar, mix it with saliva and enzymes and store it in a honey sack. Then they leave it in the hive to ripen and be used as food (2).
Because the composition of honey depends on the species of the bees as well as the plants and flowers they use, it can vary significantly in flavor and color, from clear and colorless to dark amber (1).
Honey is made up of approximately 80% sugar and no more than 18% water. The exact amount is determined by the bee species, plants, weather and humidity as well as processing (1).
It also contains organic acids such as gluconic acid, which is responsible for its characteristic acidic taste. Additionally, the pollen found in unfiltered honey contains very small amounts of protein, enzymes, amino acids and vitamins (1).
Nutritionally, the only significant nutrient in honey is sugar, with 17.2 grams and 65 calories per tablespoon (21 grams) (3).
There are also traces of minerals, such as potassium, particularly in darker varieties, though the amounts are too small to be nutritionally relevant (1).
No, even opened honey doesn’t expire. Per U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, honey will remain safe to eat even after the quality of the honey declines. So why can you eat years-old honey and be completely fine? The answer has to do with chemistry.
Bees Have Special Enzymes That Suppress Bacterial Growth
During honey production, bees secrete an enzyme called glucose oxidase into the nectar to help preserve the honey (1, 5).
As the honey ripens, glucose oxidase converts sugar into gluconic acid and also produces a compound called hydrogen peroxide (5).
This hydrogen peroxide is thought to contribute to the antibacterial properties of honey and help prevent the growth of microorganisms (1, 4, 5).
In addition, honey has been found to contain a variety of other compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, methylglyoxal, bee peptides and other antibacterial agents, which may also add to its antimicrobial qualities (2).
When Can Honey Go Bad?
Despite honey’s antimicrobial properties, it can go off or cause sickness under certain circumstances. These include contamination, adulteration, incorrect storage and degradation over time.
What Happens to Your Body When You Start Eating Honey
FAQ
What happens if you eat rotten honey?
Can honey go bad and make you sick?
What happens if I eat expired honey?
Can you get food poisoning from honey?
Does spoiled Honey go bad?
It is important to note that spoiled honey is a very uncommon experience — especially if the honey has been filtered (most grocery store brands are) and is stored in a cool, dark place. Like most food stuff, a sight and sniff test can determine if the pot of honey you left out for weeks has gone bad.
What are the side effects of eating too much honey?
Consuming too much honey will result in side effects similar to eating any concentrated sugar in excess. The most notable and reliable short-term effect would be a stomach ache and a blood sugar spike. If consumed regularly and in excess, the most likely side effect would be weight gain and possibly obesity from increased caloric intake. One tablespoon of honey contains about 64 calories, and for comparison, one tablespoon of table sugar contains about 48 calories. Obesity puts individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. How an individual responds to increased carbohydrate consumption in the short term is variable. For some people, isolated honey intake may improve mood after 60 minutes of ingestion, and it may decrease short-term cognition and increase fatigue in some people. To satisfy the desire for something sweet daily, choose whole fruits, which also contain other beneficial substances like fiber, antioxidants like vitamin C, and polyphenols.
What happens if Honey gets bad?
When honey is getting bad, it develops a cloudy yellow color instead of a clear golden one — the texture then becomes thicker until it’s grainy. Once it’s finally considered “bad,” the color becomes white, and the texture gets hard. This whole process is because of the crystallization of honey for a long time.
What happens if you eat expired honey?
Per the National Honey Board, some indications of such decline include a darkening in color, loss of aroma and crystallization. Does expired honey make you sick? As previously suggested, the question of whether or not to use expired honey has nothing to do with food safety concerns and everything to do with quality.