Ingredient Insight: Honey

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A bee will produce on average about half a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. There are over 300 varieties of honey including clover, manuka, wildflower and orange blossom. Location, climate, soil and temperature, which is often referred to as ‘terroir’, all affect honey’s sensory characteristics. Floral sources and mineral content play a key role in relation to honey’s unique amber colour, sweet aroma, texture and flavour. Honey is made from bees collecting flower nectar which is then broken down to sugars stored inside honeycombs.

Europe is the second largest global producer of honey, after China. The market for honey is predicted noticeable growth, driven by global consumer demand for natural and healthy ingredients. About 25% of the honey consumed in Europe is used as an ingredient in food products as told by CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries). These are used in many products, for example:

• Honey based drinks – soft drinks, sodas, diet sodas, alcoholic beverages and dairy drinks.
• RTD Teas – particularly green tea beverages
• Low level ‘sweetener’ in fruit systems
• Bakery and confections

The Buzz Around Honey
Known for its medicinal properties, honey can be a healthier substitute to sugar and artificial sweeteners. The sweetness found in honey comes from monosaccharides, fructose and glucose. Honey contains more calories than sugar, but you’ll need less of it to achieve sweetness due to its high level of fructose. Honey also contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, proteins and polyphenolic compounds such as phenolic acid and flavonoids. According to Global Data, 77% of consumers globally in 2017 believe that honey has a positive impact on their health, with consumer preference on natural sweeteners due to its health connotations. Common flavour pairings with honey include ginger, cinnamon, tea and most fruits including citrus, berries and figs.

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Benefits of Treattaromes®:
• All Honey Treattaromes® are water-soluble which means they are easy to formulate with, unlike highly viscous honey.

• Free from: sugar, calories, colour and additives. This makes them ideal for formulations and convenient solutions for diet drinks, creating a less labour intensive process.

• Masks harsh character of artificial sweeteners.

• The Treattaromes® do not brown over time or physically interact with other ingredients in the beverage. This emphasises their suitability in clear beverage applications.

• The Treattaromes® are free from waxes. This can sometimes be a problem with honey as binding components can cause hazes or deposits in beverages, as well as trap flavour and prevent the release of honey volatiles. This means it can be prohibitively expensive to flavour drinks solely with honey.

• Offer a variety of flavour impressions including honey, toffee, butter and phenolic notes.

• Clean label declaration, owing to their 100% natural status – honey distillate, fraction or extract.

Let’s Get Started
We develop flavour and fragrance ingredients for you, from our facilities in the UK, USA and Kenya. Our technology, combined with our team of experts across our laboratories and research departments allow us to drive future development, to ensure we are one step ahead. To find out more how we can meet your flavour needs and bring down sugar levels, please email us at
enquiries@treatt.com.