The Truth About Organic Honey (2025 Update)

This blog post is in reply to a “cease and desist” demand from Nathan Carmichael, Founder and Co-owner of Carmichael’s Honey. I referenced his honey packing company, among others, in a 2023 blog regarding confusing or misleading labeling of honey. I won’t bore you with the threatening tone of his entire email, but I will explain and expand on his list of greivances. My only goal is transparency for our readers, not a legal dispute with him. Nor do I wish to impugn the reputations of other major U.S. honey packers.

From Mr. Carmichael:

   "• Carmichael’s Honey fully complies with all U.S. labeling regulations, including clearly listing the country of origin on all of our packaging.

    • We include U.S. Honey Grade information on pack (?) in accordance with industry standards.

    • Our imported organic honey is True Source Certified, USDA Organic certified, and undergoes annual traceability audits and rigorous testing at multiple laboratories in the USA and abroad to ensure integrity and consumer transparency.”

USDA Organic Honey: What It Really Means

As of 2025, the USDA does not certify honey as organic, but they do have “guidelines” about which I wrote back in 2018. Any honey labeled “Certified Organic” in the U.S. is imported and certified by the country of origin. The U.S. accepts those foreign certifications, even though other nation's standards vary widely.

This can be confusing and sometimes concerning, especially since much of this imported honey comes from countries like Brazil, where oversight has historically been inconsistent.

Meanwhile, U.S. beekeepers cannot legally label their honey as organic, even if it’s raised entirely organically. Producing USDA-verifiable organic honey is extremely difficult because bees roam miles from their hives.

Bottom line: Local honey can be pure and chemical-free, but technically, it can’t be labeled organic. Killer Bees Honey’s apiaries are located deep in the Pisgah National Forest in WNC. We are surrounded by 512,000 acres of toxin free land. Every year we send our honey to multiples labs throughout the world to be tested for various harmful toxins, heavy metals, freshness and the like. Every year our honey comes back below Level of Quantifiability (non existent) for harmful elements. Yet, we cannot claim our honey is "USDA Organic".

Learn more about USDA’s honey guidelines.

True Source Certified

Oh, the horror. Like Colonel Kurtz, let me share a moment of existential despair.

True Source is an industry-developed certification run by major U.S. honey packers, importers, and commercial beekeepers. Its focus is on traceability and supply chain documentation, not on verifying honey purity or quality.

Because it’s self-regulated, some observers, myself included, question how independent or comprehensive its oversight can be. True Source improves traceability, but it does not guarantee against adulteration or confirm the quality traits many consumers expect.

(Full disclosure: I was once a True Source member, but left after my suggestions for enhanced testing were not adopted.)

Why “Grade A” Honey Isn’t Always Better

“Grade A” honey sounds fancy, but it’s often ultra-filtered and heated, stripping out pollen and natural nutrients.  Honey is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture into 7 color grades. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Surprisingly, ungraded honey is often better. USDA grading favors processed honey over raw flavor. If you want honey with enzymes, antioxidants, and real taste, choose raw or minimally filtered honey, ideally from local beekeepers you know and trust.

Pro tip: Check labels for terms like “raw”, “unfiltered”, “minimally processed", or my favorite, ”made by free ranging bees (seriously?)", then ask yourself, what does that really mean?

Transparency Matters

Many American honey packers state that their honey undergoes “rigorous testing” and maintains transparency. As of this update, I could not find any published lab results as comprehensive as our Smoky Mountain Wildflower honey on their websites or linked product pages. If those results exist elsewhere, I’d be happy to reference them for our readers.

By contrast, Killer Bees Honey publishes lab results, including tests for agro-toxins such as glyphosate, heavy metals, adulteration and Total Activity. We even go further and test for freshness. All this to give customers verifiable information.

At Killer Bees Honey, transparency isn’t just a marketing buzzword. It’s about proving integrity and verifying our worth. We support open and honest education within the honey industry, but we must protect our reputation and consumers from inaccurate or misleading information.

The Reality of Organic Honey in the U.S.

Many Americans assume “organic” honey is free of pesticides, glyphosate, or added sugars. In reality:

• There is no USDA requirement for independent testing once foreign honey reaches the U.S.
• Americans consumed 618 million pounds of honey in 2022.  Last year, we only produced 134 million pounds. Where does the rest of the honey consumed in America come from? As honey makers, we don’t even make it into the world’s top ten producers. Most imported honey comes from countries like Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay, and may still carry an “organic” label.
• Commercial beekeepers often move hives for pollination services, so bees forage over wide areas. True organic certification under these conditions is extremely difficult if not imposible.

Only honey from isolated, low-agriculture areas like parts of Western North Carolina, or the Adirondacks, can consistently meet chemical-free standards.

Bottom Line: How to Choose Real Honey

• USDA does not certify honey as organic. Imported “organic” honey relies on foreign certification.
• True Source Certified ensures traceability, but does not verify purity or quality.
• Grade A honey is often processed. Raw or minimally filtered honey retains nutrients and flavor.
• Transparency counts: look for honey packers that publish lab results.

Want truly natural honey and don’t want to buy Killer Bees Honey? Support local beekeepers whenever possible!

Want more?

Recent video: The Fake Honey Situation Is Crazy featuring my close friend and fellow CNR Research Institute trained, honey sommelier, Sarah Wyndham-Lewis. Co-owner of the award winning Bermondsey Street Bees. 

Deep Dive: For a detailed exploration of honey labeling, read Foxhound’s blog, “The Truth About Organic Honey,” by EAS Master Beekeeper Adam Hickman.