Honey looks indestructible. It isn't. Three numbers on a Certificate of Analysis tell you almost everything about how it will behave on the shelf: moisture, HMF, and diastase activity.
Moisture
European honey standards cap moisture at 20% (18% for some grades). Above that, fermentation risk climbs sharply. Below 17.5% gives you genuine shelf-life headroom — particularly important for honey that will be packed into glass and warehoused for months before sale.
HMF
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is the canary for heat exposure and age. Fresh, gently-handled honey sits below 15 mg/kg. The EU limit for most honey is 40 mg/kg; 80 mg/kg for tropical-origin. A high HMF on incoming stock means the honey was either over-heated during processing or has been sitting somewhere warm for too long.
Diastase activity
Diastase is a naturally-occurring enzyme that degrades with heat and time. A diastase number ≥ 8 (Schade scale) confirms the honey hasn't been over-processed. Together with HMF, it's the cleanest single check on whether you're being offered fresh honey or last season's leftovers re-warmed.
What we do
Every drum and IBC arriving at our UK partner facilities is sampled and tested against these parameters before it enters our system. You get the numbers on the CoA that travels with every order — and the option to specify your own panel for bespoke applications.
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