The Pfund scale is a colour grading system for honey that assigns a numerical value in millimetres corresponding to shades from water-white through extra-light amber to dark amber, used commercially to classify and price honey by colour.
In trade practice
Colour is measured either by comparing a honey sample against a standard Pfund colour grader wedge or by a calibrated electronic photometer, with results expressed in millimetres Pfund. Buyers in confectionery and retail often specify a maximum Pfund value to ensure visual consistency in the finished product. Acacia honey typically falls in the water-white to extra-light amber range, while buckwheat honey registers in the dark amber range. Discrepancies between declared and measured colour are a common basis for quality disputes at goods receipt.
In a specification
A specification may state the accepted Pfund range as an indicative figure, with the measurement method (optical photometer or visual wedge) and the sampling procedure defined to avoid inter-laboratory variation.