John Mitchell wrote:

> I have searched the archives for this list and nowhere have I found a clear,
> definitive statement on whether it is possible to heat honey to a high enough
> temperature that it would be "pasturized" — and still be suitable for human
> consumption, and if so, not be so badly damaged that it would be unsalable in
> the marketplace.

According to the Chamber's Technical Dictionary (3rd. edition), pasteurization
is a process whereby a fluid (such as milk) is heated to 62.8 - 65.5 C (145 -
150 F) and held at this temperature for 30 minutes.  I suppose that commercially
honey may be heated momentarily to these temperatures (flash heating) to
facilitate filtering (as oppposed to straining, which is easily done at 37.8C
(100F)), but holding it there for 30 minutes would damage its flavor.
Therefore, it cannot be said that honey is ever really "pasteurized", and
consequently any label statement that honey is unpasteurized would be
unnecessary.

Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA