SFDA Participates at the Honey Festival in Al Baha

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) is participating in an awareness pavilion at the 16th International Honey Festival, currently being held in Baljurashi Governorate in the Al-Baha region, which will continue until Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

The SFDA's participation aims to enhance its efforts to raise community awareness about methods of storing and preserving honey while maintaining quality. It also reviews its legislative, awareness, and regulatory roles, while preparing, updating, and adopting technical regulations that ensure the safety and quality of food products in the Kingdom.

The SFDA recommends keeping honey either in its original container, a glass jar, or a food-safe plastic container, sealed at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. Its recommendations included avoiding storing honey in metal containers to prevent oxidation, ensuring that moisture does not enter the container, and using a dry spoon when extracting honey.

Honey may be crystallized during storage, and it is more prone to be crystallized when it contains pollen or is stored at low temperatures. This crystallization is not an indication of adulteration or spoilage; honey can be returned to its liquid state by gradually heating in a warm water bath, while avoiding high temperatures and microwave heating. It is also advised to prevent cooling, which can lead to hardening and difficulties in pouring.

Additionally, the SFDA pointed out that the quality of honey is determined through advanced laboratory analyses, rather than traditional methods such as freezing, cutting speed tests, or other unproven and unscientifically unsupported personal assessments. It indicated that consumers could distinguish honey from concentrated sugary liquids (syrup) by reading the product name and ingredient list, as honey does not contain any natural or artificial additives, whereas concentrated sugary liquids typically include additives, artificial flavors, and colors.