

Because the NHB is an instrumentality of the USDA, there are really no members, dues, or joining the National Honey Board.

The National Honey Board's purpose is to expand domestic markets for honey and honey products. Assessments are collected on honey and honey products packed or imported in the United States. The National Honey Board collects these funds and uses them for research and development, advertising and promotion of honey and honey products, consumer education, and industry information.

The National Honey Board's 20 board members are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Board consists of three first handlers, three importers, three producers, and one marketing cooperative representative and their alternates. The Board is located in Fredrick, Colorado. You can access a listing of current Board members and alternates on the National Honey Board roster.

Are you or someone you know interested in serving on the National Honey Board? Please visit for more information. All eligible nominees will be forwarded to the nominating national organizations for consideration.


How do I find beekeeping associations or publications?

The American Beekeeping Federation provides a list of common beekeeping associations and publications at the link below.



I am looking for information on beekeeping.

We suggest getting in touch with your state beekeeping association for resources and help getting started. You can search for your local association on the American Beekeeping Federation's website below.


How do I substitute honey for sugar?



What is the role of pollen in honey?


Does honey have an expiration date?




Please visit our honey locator tool. In this section of the website, you can search for specific types of honey varieties as there are more than 300 nationwide. It also includes ways to search for other forms of honey (like comb honey or whipped honey), as well as honey from a particular location (such as your home state) and for other goods and services offered by honey producers, packers, and importers.

I would like to buy some of your honey.

The National Honey Board does not buy or sell honey. We are an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses of honey and honey products through research, marketing, and promotional programs.



May I have permission to link to your websites?

Yes, you may link to either of our websites — or

I would like to use some of your recipes on my website. May I have permission to use your recipes?

You may use any recipes from our website, but you may not use any of our photography. All of our photography is copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Please credit the National Honey Board when using our recipes. If possible, please provide a link to



Is raw honey more nutritious than processed or filtered honey?


Honey is produced by honey bees from the nectar of plants, not pollen. Pollen occurs only incidentally in honey. The amount of pollen in honey is minuscule and not enough to impact the nutrient value of honey. A 2004 study by the Australian government found the percentage of dry weight canola pollen in 32 Australian canola honey samples ranged from 0.15% to 0.433%.

A 2012 study by the National Honey Board analyzed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant levels in raw and processed honey. The study showed that processing significantly reduced the pollen content of the honey, but did not affect the nutrient content or antioxidant activity, leading the researchers to conclude that the micronutrient profile of honey is not associated with its pollen content and is not affected by commercial processing. The 2012 study and abstract with statistical analysis was presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Conference in Boston April 20–24, 2013.

What is raw honey?

While there is no official U.S. federal definition of raw honey, the National Honey Board defines raw honey as “honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling or straining without adding heat.” This definition does not have any legal authority but is provided to help in the understanding of honey and honey terms. The complete honey definitions document created by the National Honey Board is available here: The Definition of Honey


Why is most honey filtered?

According to USDA Grading Standards for extracted honey, filtered honey is honey that has been filtered to the extent that all or most of the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, and other materials normally found in suspension have been removed.

Honey that is filtered by packers is filtered for various reasons:

  • Many consumers prefer honey that is liquid and stays liquid for a long time.
  • Many consumers prefer honey to be clear and brilliantly transparent.
  • The presence of fine, suspended material (pollen grains, wax, etc.) and air bubbles result in a cloudy appearance that can detract from the appearance. Filtering is done to give a clear, brilliant product desired by consumers. For the filtered style of honey, USDA Grading Standards for Extracted Honey give higher grades for honey that has good clarity.
  • Various filtration methods are used by the food industry throughout the world. Ultrafiltration, a specific kind of filtration used in the food industry, should not be confused with other filtration methods generally used in the honey industry. When applied to honey, ultrafiltration involves adding water to honey and filtering it under high pressure at the molecular level, then removing the water. It is a much more involved and expensive process, which results in a colorless sweetener product that is derived from honey but is not considered honey in the U.S.
  • Honey that is filtered through more traditional methods is still honey, even if pollen has been removed along with other fine particles.


How do bees pollinate plants?


How do bees make honey?



How do I tell the difference between honey bees and other stinging insects?



Who should I call to remove bees from my property?



Why does my honey look or taste different from what I'm used to?


My honey has become solid (crystallized). Is it still good?

Crystallization is the natural process by which the glucose in honey precipitates out of the liquid honey. Different varieties of honey will crystallize at different rates, and a few not at all. If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve; or place the honey container, with the cap open, into near-boiling water that has been removed from the heat; or place the honey in a microwave-safe container with the lid off and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the crystals dissolve. Be careful not to boil or scorch the honey. Also, keep in mind that you can eat the honey in a crystallized form. Just scoop out of the jar and spread it on your toast or drop it in your tea!


How much does honey weigh?

Eight fluid ounces (or 1 cup) of honey weighs 12 ounces. Be careful in buying and measuring quantities of honey. Honey is typically sold by weight rather than volume. It is heavier than water; the standard for "fluid ounces," which is why 1 cup of water is considered 8 fluid ounces, but 1 cup of honey will actually weigh 12 ounces. A gallon of honey weighs approximately 12 pounds.


What is honey’s nutritional information?

Please follow the link below for technical specifications about the nutritional components of honey.

Nutrition Research & Information





Will eating local honey help with my allergies?

There are anecdotal stories of people claiming relief from allergies by eating local honey, but we are not aware of any scientific evidence to support these claims. This subject is somewhat controversial since some experts claim that the kinds of pollens that are the greatest cause of allergies are smaller windblown pollens that are not typically found in honey. This topic is also covered on the website of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology here: Other sources of information about pollen allergy include the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.


What is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and how do I know what I need to do as an Importer or Packer?

Click the link below for Frequently Asked Questions about the FSMA:

For more information about compliance questions regarding the FSMA, click below link:

What are the currently labeling requirements for honey?

Link below to FDA Guidance:

What is honey?

According to the FDA:

Reference materials in the public domain define honey as “a thick, sweet, syrupy substance that bees make as food from the nectar of flowers and store in honeycombs.” 2,3 FDA has concluded that this definition accurately reflects the common usage of the term “honey.”