The point of pasturizing food is to kill bacteria.  Since most bacteria
cannot live in properly cured honey, and no bacteria can grow in honey,
there's no health benefit to pasturizing it.    So what's the point of
pasturizing honey?  My take is that pasturization is only useful to packers
who need the honey to flow quickly through filters.  It does nothing to
protect consumers.  In fact, it degrades the delicate floral aromatic
qualities of the honey, and is largely responsible for the inferior flavor
of "store-bought" honey.
 
My preference is to avoid temperatures above 120F.  There have been
numerous discussions on this list about the definition of raw honey.  I use
120F as my limit for raw honey since I've lived in places where ambient
temps get that high.  That's also about the temperature where wax melts.
If you're interested in what raw means for honey, search the archives.  I
only bring it up in the context of pasturization.  Pasturization is a red
herring with respect to honey.  Hot honey is damaged honey. Keep it cool to
protect your reputation with your customers.  And if they're concerned
about pasturization, explain to them about the natural antiseptic qualities
of honey, and the benefit of minimizing heat to preserve quality.
 
We talk a little about this subject on the Gilroy Beekeepers Association
Web page at http://www.hotcity.com/~bees/honey.shtml
 
Michael
Michael