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Honey: bacteria's worst enemy

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It may not look like it sitting in that cute bear bottle, but honey is a supercharged bacteria-killing powerhouse! SciShow explains.

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Additional references


Why doesn't honey spoil? - Compound Interest

Honey is something of an oddity, in that, unlike most foods, it doesn’t spoil over time. In fact, the oldest known sample of honey, found in an Ancient Egyptian tomb and dated to approximately 3000 years ago, was still perfectly edible (supposedly*). What is it, then, that gives honey this unusual property?

How do salt and sugar prevent microbial spoilage?
Protection of foods from microbial spoilage using salt (usually sodium chloride) or sugar (usually sucrose) has ancient roots. Mickey Parish, chair of the Nutrition and Food Science Department at the University of Maryland, explains.

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