....For honey to be certified organic, manufacturers have to meet a set of organic standards and conditions during the honey production (set by a organic agriculture certification body), which include source of the nectar, honey bees foraging area, bees management, honey extracting process, transportation, processing temperature, and packaging materials.
Honey that claims to be organic has to be tested to guarantee that it does not contain any residues of pesticides or environmental pollutants. Farming of organic honey is also supposed to meet rigorous and extensive monitoring and testing criteria of the certification body, for instance, the documentation of, and consultation with every land user within a five kilometer radius of the organic hives to ensure they are free of chemical residue; regular analysis and testing of honey samples; and hives have to be proven free of non-organic honey, sugar and antibiotics.
It takes a lot of resources to ensure against contamination, either by wind or by bee travel, of the bees' forage by non-organic pollen. Many beekeepers find it unfeasible for them to keep up with the stringent organic guidelines specified by the government.
