Organic honey is a type of honey that is produced by bees feeding on organic food such as organic flowers and organic nectar. Organic honeys are considered special because organic foods like organic fruits and organic vegetables, which bees feed on to produce organic honey, contain high levels of antioxidants and other nutrients that contribute to overall health benefits.
Organic foods (including organic honey) usually refer to those grown or raised without the use of chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers containing harmful chemicals like mercury and other toxins that are known carcinogens.
While the majority of commercially available honeys are treated with heat or blended with other batches during processing, organic honeys are left alone after being harvested from the comb where it has been formed naturally by the worker bees during the process of converting organic nectar into organic honey.
The organic's label on organic products such as organic honey means that all ingredients used in its production and processing, including beekeeping methods and vehicles used to transport them, are made from or contain 100% organic components.
Organic labels for organic foods like organic honey also require compliance with strict manufacturing and labeling standards – for example no antibiotics can be used in organic animal farming and no artificial fertilizers or growth hormones can be used to produce organic crops or other ingredients used in its production. Honey that is not labeled as "organic" may have been treated with antibiotics or irradiated by gamma rays from cesium-137 to extend shelf life before being sold as a non-organic product.