Some honey NOT KOSHER!

amother

Aubergine

Fri, Sep 30 2016, 2:53 pm

The OU just released a kashrus advisory:

Please be aware that “forest honey”, “honeydew honey”, and “beechwood honey” generally refer to honey produced by bees that have consumed the nectar from aphids. They should be avoided. It has come to our attention that some honey blends contain these varieties, which would be identified on the product’s ingredients label. Please check your honey to ensure that these varieties are not listed.

mummiedearest

Fri, Sep 30 2016, 3:15 pm

ok, looked it up. certain insects secrete honeydew, which is then used by bees to make honey. I still wonder what the source is for this concern. I've never heard that honey is ok unless bees use insect excretions to make it.

Volunteer

Fri, Sep 30 2016, 4:12 pm

Honeydew is a sweet syrup produced by an aphid. The aphids such the sweet sap from plants, but they don't digest all they take in, so they excrete some extra as waste via their backside. Since the sap moves through the aphid's digestive canal, it is considered to be a product of the aphid's body, and it is thus not kosher.

Honey is the concentrated nectar of flowers. Honeybees gather nectar from flowers, and return it to the hive. In the hive, bees take the nectar into their mouths and spit it out over and over. This process helps the water in nectar evaporate faster, so as to turn nectar into concentrated honey. The bees store honey for feeding in the winter. Since the nectar does not pass though the bees' bodies, it is not considered product of the bees, and it is thus kosher.

Did you know that some ants raise honeydew aphids like little sheep, so they can drink the honeydew? The protect the aphids from harm and predators. When an ant wants a drink, she strokes the aphid with her antennae, and out comes a droplet of honeydew. The wonders of Our Creator! Happy Rosh Hashana everyone!
Watch this video to see ants and their aphids in action!

amother

Aubergine

Fri, Sep 30 2016, 5:49 pm

I think some of you are missing the point. The OU is saying that some honey, even with the OU symbol, may be problematic and should not be consumed.

Do with this what you want.

Good Shabbos.

anonymrs

Fri, Sep 30 2016, 5:51 pm

I emailed OU about honey a short while ago.

zvi from Orthodox Union <zvi>
Aug 2

to me
100% pure does not need a hechsher

--
zvi from Orthodox Union
On Tue, Aug 2, 2016 at 12:31 PM,

On Tue, Aug 2, 2016 at 12:22 PM,
Hi

Does honey need to have a hechsher on it?