"Honey is the foodstuff produced
by melliferous
*
bees from the
nectar
of
flowers either from the secretions issued from the living parts of plants or
from
honeydew
, that they gather, transform, combine with
their own specific substances, store, and leave to mature in honeycombs."
*
(honey-producing).
In order to reproduce, flowers need to be
"pollinated ", Pollen is produced by the stamens (male organs) and has
to reach the pistil (female organ) of another flower. Pollination is principally
done by bees who, gathering nectar from flower to flower, carry the pollen on
their legs, transferring it to the pistils.
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In order to attract these necessary gatherers,
flowers produce a substance,
nectar
, a subtle blend of water and sugars
secreted by the nectaries (glandular outgrowths generally situated inside the
flower). The gatherer bee draws up the nectar with its proboscis and stores it
away in its crop, (where the natural enzymes contained in its saliva become
active), and carries it to the hive.
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As with nectar, bees
gather
honeydew
, that they transform in the same way into honey. More
complex than nectar, honeydew is produced through an intermediary, generally an
aphid : the aphid pierces the plant, feeds from the sap and rejects the surplus
in the shape of sweetened droplets that settle on the leaves. The plants and
trees that host these aphids, such as fir trees, spruces, oaks, maples, limes
but also wheats, are thus important sources of honey.
The bee transforms the nectar or the honeydew by
blending it with its saliva. Inside the hive, the drops are passed from bee to
bee and from cell to cell, gradually becoming enriched with biological
constituents. The bees' unique natural alchemy transforms and concentrates the
solution into honey. It is difficult to evaluate the annual production of a
single bee, but it is estimated that the hive produces from 20 to 30 kg of honey
each year for an average population of 30 000 bees.
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In this way, a
1 kg pot of honey represents approximately 200 days work and 40 000 km of
travel for the bee between some 800 000 flowers!
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By definition, honey is an
entirely
natural
product that
is self sufficient and contains neither additives nor preservatives. The date shown on the honey
pot is an indication of its freshness. Honey can be kept for several years and
retains its fragrance and its original flavours. According to European
legislation, the single word "honey" written on the packing is enough to
guarantee the consumer that the product is 100% natural. Also, compliance
checks are performed regularly by registered laboratories.
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