A lot of articles have already been written on the topic “How to store honey?”, in this article we will try to disclose in more detail information on the storage of honey, as well as tell how EKO-MedOK stores honey and in what container the company sells its honey products.
The main document that regulates in Ukraine the rules for packaging, labeling, storage, transportation and methods of quality control of natural honey is DSTU 4497:2005.
For the production of honey desserts, such as honey with nuts, dried fruits or spices, each company in Ukraine must develop and approve its own technical standard. ECO-MedOK developed and approved TU U 01.4-38957217-001:2014.
The main document in the European Union regulating the quality and safety of food products, including honey, is regulation EC/178/2002.
How long can honey be stored?
A large number of speculations we can hear and read about the shelf life of natural honey. Someone says that honey can be stored almost "forever", but unfortunately it is not.
What do the official standards and the scientific community say about the shelf life of natural honey? In Ukraine, the shelf life of natural honey is 2 years, in some countries this period can reach a maximum of 3 years. It is not said that after the expiration of this period, honey cannot be consumed and it is spoiled, but the quality of this product is significantly reduced, and in some cases the use is not safe at all. The ECO-MedOK company calls on all participants in the Ukrainian honey market to speak honestly and frankly about the timing of the production of their honey, honestly label their product and not deceive their consumers about the timing.
As for honey desserts (honey with nuts, dried fruits or spices), the shelf life of such a product does not exceed 1 year from the date of production.
At what temperature is honey stored?
Now let's talk at what temperature and under what conditions it is optimal to store honey.
Storage temperature of honey is from 0 ⁰С to + 25 ⁰С. For the dissolution of honey, the temperature can be raised to + 40 ⁰С only when using special equipment for the dissolution of honey.
Natural honey must be stored indoors protected from direct sunlight.
It is forbidden to store honey with poisons and products that can give honey an uncharacteristic smell for it.
Premises for storing honey should be dry, as in damp rooms, loosely closed honey can absorb moisture and begin to ferment (deteriorate). Premises for storing honey should be equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation to maintain an optimal climate.
Honey storage container?
According to regulatory documents, the container in which it is allowed to store natural honey should be made of the following materials: glass, ceramics, stainless steel, metal or aluminum with a food-grade lacquer coating, food-grade polymers, as well as wood (in particular, beech, birch, linden, willow, aspen and alder, with a moisture content of not more than 16%), the tree must be covered with a paraffin layer.
Any container can be filled with natural honey no more than 95% of its volume.
The container must also be completely sealed to prevent air from entering. It is allowed to close the container with metal or plastic lids, by twisting or rolling, it is also allowed to seal the container with food foil.
The ECO-MedOK company in its production uses stainless steel tanks for honey storage, Polish production by Lyson, these tanks are specially designed for storing natural honey.
For our consumers, we package honey in glass containers from 50 grams to 2 kg, as we believe that glass is the most environmentally friendly material for storing honey. We also pack honey sticks 10 grams in plastic food tubes.
The company ECO-MedOK in the production, packaging and storage of honey and honey products strictly adheres to all the rules and standards of food safety. All our technological equipment is specialized, exclusively for the packaging and storage of honey and honey products, all equipment is made in Poland, Ukraine, Italy. The production facilities of ECO-MedOK meet all the requirements and food safety standards. You can read about us here.
You can buy real and natural honey in our EKO-MedOK online store.