USDA Honey Grading

The USDA publishes a grading system for extracted honey that provides general standards. What is the purpose of the grading system? The USDA honey grading system was created to support large-scale commerce, not to judge how natural or healthful honey is. Its purpose is to make honey predictable, uniform, and easy to trade across long supply chains.

Importantly, USDA grades do not evaluate:

• Nutritional complexity
• Pollen content
• Enzyme activity
• Terroir or floral specificity
• Organic or ecological practices
• “Naturalness” in the everyday sense

Those qualities fall outside the scope of a commodity grading system. For state-level rules see State Level Standards below class=“ht-lightboxable” So when filtered honey grades highly, it’s not because the USDA considers it better for you—it’s because it is easier to handle, inspect, and trade at scale. Filtered honey scores well under USDA grades because filtration helps achieve the things the grading system actually measures:

1. USDA Standards apply to Filtered Honey: all or most of the fine particles, pollen grains, air bubbles, or other materials normally found in suspension, have been removed.
2. Strained Honey: strained to the extent that most of the particles, including comb, propolis, or other defects normally found in honey, have been removed. Grains of pollen, small air bubbles, and very fine particles would not normally be removed. USDA’s United States Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey include a specific definition: “strained” honey is honey that has been strained so most particles (wax/comb/propolis/defects) are removed, but pollen and very fine particles typically remain. These standards are used for grading/inspection and quality descriptions, but they are not mandatory federal law for all honey sold.

Characteristics covered by the USDA grading system for Honey: Moisture content, absence of defects, flavor & aroma and clarity (for filtered honey). Color is defined but not part of the calculation of grade. For imported honey that bears USDA grading information, the country of origin must be declared.

Characteristics Not covered by the USDA honey grading system:

It is important to note that this is a voluntary system. No enforcement or checking is performed. For that reason and because of the grading system is lacking in several key areas, this grading system should never be the only deciding factor in selecting honey, there are many important honey characteristics not covered by the USDA grading system. Two honeys could be legally graded as Grade A honey and be identically labeled as, "100% Organic Clover Honey from Arizona - USDA Grade A" yet be entirely different honeys. They could be a blend of honeys from all over the world, some heated to 180 degrees to make it easy to filter, contain antibiotics, chemicals and corn syrup, not made from Clover at all nor actually be from plants in Arizona!

Also note that from the USDA Rules and Regulations, “…honey does not require official inspection in order to carry official USDA grade marks and since there are no existing programs that require the official inspection and certification of honey,…

Not covered: Purity or added ingredients (sugar or syrups), heating, contaminants, authenticity of labeling (natural, organic, raw, unheated), biological source (floral, honeydew), botanical source (Arcacia, Clover etc.), or regional source. Many of these factors are defined and followed for honeys from other countries (Europe, Australia, New Zealand) and supported via honey standards and labeling, but are not part of a grading system per se. For honey from the United States, the best policy for determining the level of quality is to purchase honey directly from the honey farmer or a trusted distributor or supplier who can vouch for the honey source and processing methods. It is important to note that some states are now considering enforcing standards for honey produced in their state. Florida is the first state to actually create and enforce a honey identity standard. Other states with honey standards: California - scroll to Division 13. Bee Management and Honey Production. Wisconsin and North Carolina are close to adopting a standard.

USDA Honey Grading Standard

• U.S. Grade A is the quality of extracted honey that meets the applicable requirements of Table A and has a minimum total score of 90 points.
• U.S. Grade B is the quality of extracted honey that meets the applicable requirements of Table A and has a minimum total score of 80 points.
• U.S. Grade C is the quality of extracted honey that meets the applicable requirements of Table A and has a minimum total score of 70 points.

Table A

Table A: Rating Factors By Type of Honey** ^†

* Limiting rule – sample units with score points that fall in this range shall not be graded above the respective grade regardless of the total score.

** Substandard grades not shown.

† How to Interpret Table A:

• Moisture Content: Percentage of water. Percentage of soluble solids =100% -  moisture content%
  • Grade A - Maximum Moisture Content: 18.6%; or Minimum Percent Soluble Solids: 81.4%
  • Grade B - Maximum Moisture Content: 18.6%; or Minimum Percent Soluble Solids: 81.4%
  • Grade C - Maximum Moisture Content: 20%; or Minimum Percent Soluble Solids: 80%
• Absence of Defects: Means the degree of freedom from particles of comb, propolis, or other defects which may be in suspension or deposited as sediment in the honey.
  • Grade A - 37 to 40 points; Practically free - practically none that affect appearance or edibility
  • Grade B - 34 to 36 points; Reasonably free - do not materially affect the appearance or edibility
  • Grade C - 31 to 33 points; Fairly free - do not seriously affect the appearance or edibility
• Flavor & Aroma: The degree of taste excellence and aroma for the predominant floral source
  • Grade A - 45 to 50 points; Good - free from caramelization, smoke, fermentation, chemicals, and other causes.
  • Grade B - 40 to 44 points; Reasonably good - practically free from caramelization; free from smoke, fermentation,chemicals, and other causes.
  • Grade C - 35 to 39 points; Fairly good - reasonably free from caramelization; free from smoke, fermentation, chemicals, and other causes.
• Clarity: With respect to filtered style only, the apparent transparency or clearness of honey to the eye and to the degree of freedom from air bubbles, pollen grains, or other fine particles of any material suspended in the product
  • Grade A - 8 to 10 points: Clear - may contain air bubbles that do not materially affect the appearance; may contain a trace of pollen grains or other finely divided particles in suspension that do not affect appearance.
  • Grade B - 6 to 7 points: Reasonably clear - may contain air bubbles, pollen grains, or other finely divided particles in suspension that do not materially affect the appearance.
  • Grade C - 4 to 5 points: Fairly clear - may contain air bubbles, pollen grains, or other finely divided particles in suspension that do not seriously the affect the appearance.
• Color designations (not used for grading): Typically the color indicates the strength of the flavor of the honey. Darker honey tends to be stronger than light. There are some exceptions. Linden or Basswood honey is light in color but has a strong flavor, while Tulip Tree honey is dark but has a milder flavor.
  • Water White: Honey that is Water White or lighter in color; Pfund Scale: 8 or less; Optical Density: 0.0945
  • Extra White: Honey that is darker than Water White; but not darker than Extra White in color.Pfund Scale: Over 8 to and including 17;Optical Density: 189
  • White: Honey that is darker than Extra White, but not darker than White in color; Pfund Scale: Over 17 to and including 34; Optical Density: .378
  • Extra Light Amber: Honey that is darker than White, but not darker than Extra light Amber in color; Pfund Scale: Over 34 to and including 50; Optical Density: 595
  • Light Amber: Honey that is darker than Extra Light Amber, but not darker than light Amber in color; Pfund Scale: Over 50 to and including 85; Optical Density: 1.389
  • Amber: Honey that is darker than light Amber, but not darker than Amber in color; Pfund Scale: Over 85 to and including 114; Optical Density: 3.008
  • Dark Amber: Honey that is darker than Amber in color; Pfund Scale: Over 114

State-Level Standards

At the federal level, USDA provides a voluntary grading standard for extracted honey (including terms like “strained” and “filtered”), but there is no national mandatory standard of identity that all honey must meet to be sold in the U.S., and FDA guidance on honey labeling is also non-binding at this time. 

In contrast, state laws can and do set binding definitions and labeling rules that control how honey must be described and sold within that state — potentially giving consumers clearer, enforceable expectations about things like raw, pure, or strained honey.

• New York — NY Agriculture & Markets Law (honey definitions)
  Defines terms such as honey, liquid/extracted honey, strained honey, and pure honey in state law, and restricts misleading “honey” labeling.
• Utah — Utah Code (raw honey definition & labeling)
  Sets a state definition for raw honey and controls how “raw” and related claims may be used on labels sold in Utah.
• Washington — RCW 69.28 (Washington honey law)
  Provides honey-related definitions and enforces rules against adulteration and misbranding, including required labeling elements in certain contexts.
• North Carolina — NC Certified Honey Producer Program Guidelines
  Not a statute, but a widely used state program standard: sets enforceable program rules for “Certified NC Honey,” including processing limits (e.g., no ultrafiltration) and quality criteria.

In most U.S. states, honey is regulated under general food laws rather than a honey-specific standard of identity. These laws focus on food safety, adulteration, and truthful labeling—prohibiting added sugars, undisclosed ingredients, or misleading claims—but they do not define processing terms such as raw, strained, or filtered. As a result, enforcement is based on whether the label is deceptive, not on how the honey was produced or processed.

For a state-by-state starting point, see AFDO’s Honey Laws and Guidance page, which compiles links to official state statutes, regulations, and agency guidance affecting honey (labeling, adulteration rules, licensing, and related requirements). Use it as an index: expectations are that coverage and detail vary by state, and you should always confirm the current requirements in the linked official sources before relying on any summary. AFDO: Honey Laws and Guidance

Next: Raw Honey: From a consumer's point of view—the best grade of honey.

Other Resources and Further Reading

• United States Standards for Grades of Extracted Honey PDF
• United States Standards for Grades of Comb Honey
• USDA Revises Standards to Include Country of Origin
• Honey Labeling Regulations
• Department of Agriculture Official Rules - Country of Origin Labeling of Packed Honey