Our Honey Test Results Trusted & Verified
For 21 years, the proof behind our honey has been the people. We buy from trusted beekeepers year after year, we know who supplied every drop, and we bottle it ourselves in Ogden. In 2026 we started adding a second kind of proof: independent lab testing.
Here's what that means in plain terms. We send samples of the honey we sell to outside labs and publish what comes back, certificate and all. The first round was a C4 sugar test, which detects added cane or corn syrup, run by IEH Laboratories. Orange blossom, wildflower, and light wildflower from the 2026 harvest all passed.
Clover is at the lab now. We waited for this year's clover crop to come in, then sent in a random sample from each beekeeper who supplies our clover.
Pollen analysis by Mellifloral is next. It will confirm which flowers the bees actually worked and verify that its actually US-produced honey.
More tests will follow as we can add them without having to raise the price of each jar.
Trusted & Verified
What We've Tested So Far
Every row is one of our raw honeys. Every column is one test. A certificate link opens the lab's own report.
| Honey | Added sugar: cane & corn (C4)IEH Laboratories | Pollen & originMellifloral | Heat & freshness (HMF, diastase)IEH Laboratories | Added sugar: rice, beet & wheat (C3)IEH Laboratories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Clover | Pending2026 harvest · 4 samples at the lab, one per beekeeper · results expected soon | In progress | TBD | TBD |
| Raw Orange Blossom | Passed0% C4 (limit 7%) · 2026 harvest · Certificate | In progress | TBD | TBD |
| Raw Wildflower | Passed0% C4 (limit 7%) · 2026 harvest · Certificate | In progress | TBD | TBD |
| Raw Light Wildflower | Passed0% C4 (limit 7%) · 2026 harvest · Certificate | In progress | TBD | TBD |
The C4 test (AOAC method 998.12) measures how much of a honey's sugar came from cane or corn plants instead of nectar. Real honey can read a little above zero, which is why the recognized line for added sugar is 7%. "Passed" means the sample came in under that line. "In progress" means samples are at the lab. "TBD" means it's being considered.
Results describe the samples tested, not every jar. Raw honey is an agricultural product and varies a little by season, region, and hive. That variation is the point.
What Each Test Can and Can't Tell You
Unfortunately, there isn't a single all inclusive honey test. Each test is limited in what it can measure which is why a full picture requires all of them. Unfortunately testing is really expensive. We started our independent honey testing protocols in 2026 and will continue to evaluate testing procedures to ensure we always deliver real honey.
| Test | What it catches | What it can't see | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 sugarCarbon isotope ratio, AOAC 998.12 | Added cane sugar and corn syrup, including high-fructose corn syrup. The two cheapest, most common ways to stretch honey. | Syrups made from rice, beet, or wheat. Those plants leave the same carbon fingerprint as nectar, so this test reads them as honey. | IEH Laboratories |
| Pollen analysisMelissopalynology | Which flowers the bees actually worked, and roughly where. Confirms a clover is clover and an orange blossom came from citrus country. | Added sugar of any kind. Pollen tells you where honey came from, not whether anything was mixed in after. | Mellifloral |
| HMF and diastaseHeat and freshness | Whether honey has been cooked or left to age. HMF climbs with heat and time and never comes back down. Diastase is an enzyme the bees add, and heat destroys it. Together they're the closest thing to a lab check on the word "raw." | Origin or added sugar. These two numbers describe handling, not identity. | IEH Laboratories (TBD) |
| C3 sugar | The syrups C4 misses: rice, beet, and wheat. Closes the gap left by the first test. | Heat, origin, or floral source. | IEH Laboratories (TBD) |
How the C4 test works: most nectar producing plants make sugar one way, and cane and corn make it another way. The difference leaves a measurable mark in the carbon footprint, so a lab can tell how much of a honey's sugar came from the wrong kind of plant. It's a well-established method, and it has a well-known blind spot, which is why the C3 test is being considered.
How We Choose What to Test
We don't test every barrel. We test every source. Each varietal gets sampled from each beekeeper who supplies it, each harvest year. This year's clover honey came from four beekeepers, so four clover samples went to the lab, labeled by who sent us the honey.
It costs real money per sample, and we'd rather spend it where it tells us something useful. One sample from each beekeeper, each year, and each varietal helps us confirm what we already expect. It also means a result traces back to a person we know, not just a lot number in a warehouse.
We will continue to make the system more robust over time but we have to start somewhere.
If a Result Comes Back Wrong
Testing and publishing results only means something if it actually changes the outcom. So here is what happens when a sample doesn't pass.
- The honey stops. Every drum from that beekeeper and harvest is set aside. Nothing from it gets bottled, and nothing from it gets sold, until we know more.
- We test again. Fresh samples from the held honey goes back to the lab for further testing before anyone makes a call on it.
- Then we decide. Honey that doesn't pass is never sold under our name, and the investigation into what happened begins.
Questions People Ask About Honey Testing
Is The Honey Jar's honey lab tested?
Yes. Since 2026 we send samples of each raw honey to independent labs. IEH Laboratories runs the C4 added-sugar test, and Mellifloral runs pollen analysis. Results and certificates are published on this page as they come in.
Does a passed test mean the honey is pure?
It means the honey passed that test. The C4 test rules out cane and corn syrup. It can't see rice or beet syrup, which is why C3 testing is on our list. We'd rather tell you what a test can't do than hand you a badge that implies more than it proves.
Why don't you test every barrel?
Because a test on every drum would make our honey significantly more expensive. Each varietal is sampled from every beekeeper who supplies it, every harvest year, and a result ties back to a beekeeper not just a lot number
Can I see the actual certificates?
Yes. Each passed result in the table links to the lab's report.
Why did you start testing in 2026 after 21 years?
For 21 years our assurance was knowing the beekeepers and bottling the honey ourselves. That hasn't changed. What changed is that more people, fairly, want proof they can check without taking our word for it. Testing adds a second layer on top of the relationships, not instead of them.
Want the standard these tests check against? Read our raw & unfiltered standard.