In many applications, natural is the buzz word, and as far as sweeteners are concerned, no one questions honey’s natural credentials. Honey is composed primarily of glucose and fructose, but contains numerous other sugars, as well as acids, proteins and minerals that influence its flavor. Most honeys’ main sugar is fructose, averaging from 30.91% to 44.26%, according to data from the National Honey Board, Firestone, CO. Fructose’s higher sweetness level makes honey tend to taste sweeter than sugar. In fact, on a dry-weight basis, honey is 1 to 1.5 times sweeter than sugar.
Besides fructose, honey also contains glucose (31%), maltose (7.2%) and sucrose (1.5%). One research study indicates it may elicit a more-favorable glycemic response than other sweeteners. (“Honey can serve as an effective carbohydrate replacement during endurance exercise,” Kreider, R.B., et al, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3):466-72, 2004.)
On average, honey contains 17.1% water. So, for sugar substitution in a formula, start by adding 121.4 grams of liquid honey for each 100 grams of sugar removed, plus subtract 214 grams liquid from the formula. Obviously, this can vary slightly depending on the application, processing needs and finished product requirements.
Honey’s carbohydrates, major monosaccharides and minor oligosaccharides influence its functional properties, such as ability to hold moisture and extend shelf-life, microwave browning reactivity, and ability to promote color and flavor development. Honey, on average, has a water activity of 0.55, so it works as a natural humectant. In baked goods, it can also help texture by promoting crumb softness and extend shelf life. This is due to honey’s naturally occurring amylase, which helps break down starch, a factor in staling. The amylase level varies by the honey’s floral source and can be deactivated by heat.
The carbohydrate content, particularly the fructose to glucose and glucose to water ratios, also affects honey’s crystallization properties. Honey with a low glucose-to-water ratio generally does not crystallize easily.
In addition, studies show honey can inhibit mold and bacterial growth in foods (“Growth inhibition of foodborne pathogens and food spoilage organisms by select raw honeys,” Mundo, M.A., et al, International Journal of Food Microbiology, 97:1-8, 2004). In addition to its low water activity and pH, honey provides glucose oxidase, which produces hydrogen peroxide, a compound that can provide antimicrobial effects.
It also provides a healthy serving of antioxidants--especially for a sweetener--that can improve product shelf life and consumer health. Honey contains nearly 800 mg phenolics per gram. In general, darker, more-flavorful honeys contain a higher level of antioxidants. For example, buckwheat honey contains 17 µmol Trolox equivalents per gram.
All this makes honey sound like an appealing sweetener option. But, given current worries about the “Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)” responsible for an estimated loss of more than 25% of the nation’s honeybee population over the past year (from reasons yet to be ascertained), is any honey available for formulating, and at what cost? According to Charlotte Jordan, project manager, National Honey Board, a major factor is 69% of the honey supply in the United States is imported and therefore not affected by the U.S. CCD crisis. “Most of the domestic honey crop will come in this fall, so it's too early to tell how much it will be affected by CCD,” she says. “Import prices are steadily hovering around $0.72/lb. Domestic prices seem to be up 3% to 5% over last year, averaging about $1/lb.”
