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Bees engineer honey's shelf life, enzyme included.
Honey keeps because bees manufacture it that way. They fan nectar with their wings until its water content drops from as high as 80% to under about 18%, and they add an enzyme, glucose oxidase, that slowly generates hydrogen peroxide — a built-in antiseptic.
Step by step
- Nectar arrives up to 80% water — a spoilage time bomb.
- Bees fan it with their wings until it drops below about 18%.
- They add glucose oxidase, an enzyme that slowly makes hydrogen peroxide: antiseptic on tap.
Source
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