Acacia honey, from the flowers of black locust, is prized for being very pale, mild and slow to crystallise, which is a consequence of its high fructose to glucose ratio. It sits at a premium to most other monofloral honeys and that premium is exactly why it attracts adulteration. Buying it properly means specifying three groups of things: the physical and chemical parameters that describe the honey, the parameters that reveal whether it has been heated, and the authenticity testing that establishes it is what the label says. A specification that covers only the first group is not enough for this product.
Seasonality and availability
Black locust flowers for a short period in May and June and the honey is harvested in that window. The flowering is weather sensitive, so volume varies considerably from year to year, and a poor flowering season is felt in the price immediately. Honey is stored in drums and supplied through the year. Storage temperature matters: HMF rises with time and temperature, so a honey stored warm for a year is not the same product it was at harvest.
What the buyer checks at intake
- HMF, which rises with heating and with storage time and temperature.
- Diastase number, which falls with heating. Read it together with HMF, not alone.
- Moisture content, which drives fermentation risk.
- Colour on the agreed scale, since acacia is bought partly for its paleness.
- Pollen analysis to support the monofloral claim.
- Authenticity testing appropriate to the risk, agreed with the supplier in advance.
- Drum condition, seal integrity and food grade liner confirmation.
Related standards and routes
Drums and packed goods travel as ambient goods by road or container. Keep them out of the sun: HMF rises measurably in a hot container over a long transit. Honey imports into the EU are subject to residue controls, so the supplier should be able to show a residue monitoring position for the lot.