At Billy Bee®, ingredients are declared on the product label. Pure, single ingredient spices and herbs do not contain an ingredient statement. The only ingredient present is the original spice or herb to which nothing else has been added. We encourage you to read the ingredient statement on your package at the time of purchase to ensure accurate, up to date information as product formulas may change. All priority allergens, sulphites (>10 ppm) and gluten sources will be clearly identified if they are present in the product.

We do have dairy, egg, soy, wheat, mustard, sesame, sulphites, fish, crustaceans, shellfish wheat and other sources of gluten ingredients in our facility. Please be assured we follow good manufacturing practices in our facilities. Our employees are trained in the importance of correct labelling and the necessity of performing thorough equipment wash-downs to eliminate cross-contact of ingredients.

Gluten and gluten products, when present, will always be declared on the product label by the common name of the gluten source such as “barley”, “wheat”, “rye”, “oats” or “triticale”.

It is important that you read the ingredient statement on your package at the time of purchase to ensure accurate, up-to-date information, as product formulas may change.

Our facilities have allergen, sanitation, and hygiene programs in place. Our employees follow good manufacturing practices and are trained in the importance of correct labeling and the necessity of performing thorough equipment clean-up and change over procedures to minimize cross-contact of ingredients.

If any product has a Gluten-Free claim, the product and the manufacturing line has been validated Gluten-Free.

Billy Bee is 100% pure and natural, with no other ingredients, additives or preservatives. For more information, please visit https://www.clubhouse.ca/en-ca/pages/billy-bee-about-honey.

Billy Bee uses 100% Canadian honey (in all products except for our Organic offerings) and we are supporters of the Honey Bee Research Centre at the University of Guelph. The research center conducts beekeeping research focused on honey bee health to ensure the bee populations can continue to play a vital role in our ecosystem.

Pasteurized honey is treated in a registered pasteurizing plant by applying high heat to destroy sugar-tolerant yeasts. It must be heated to a minimum temperature. This honey is treated in a registered pasteurizing plant by the controlled application of heat so that the honey is free of viable sugar-tolerant yeasts*.

Unpasteurized honey is only slightly heated during processing, which helps the honey to retain many of its nutritional properties. In recent years, there has been growing interest in unpasteurized honey driven by possible health benefits.

Raw Honey is not exactly the same as unpasteurized honey. The main difference is that raw honey is kept in its natural state with no heat or filtering at all, so it contains naturally occurring bee pollen, royal jelly, beeswax, and propolis. Raw honey has a thick, creamy texture, making it perfect for spreading on toast, adding to smoothies, mixing into dressings, and more!

There is no requirement in Canada for honey to be pasteurized, so you should be able to easily find both pasteurized and unpasteurized bottles of honey. But since all types of honey are safe to eat, you may be wondering why some bottles are pasteurized in the first place.

Unlike dairy products, pasteurizing honey isn’t about food safety, as natural honey is one of the safest food products you can eat. Instead, pasteurization is mainly done to slow down the natural process of crystallization, or when liquid honey starts to turn stiff and crunchy over time. If honey is sold in a squeeze bottle, such as Billy Bee’s Liquid Honey Bear, pasteurizing helps to keep the honey in a liquid state for longer. This allows you to easily squeeze the honey out onto your favourite foods, baked goods, or into a cup of tea. 

However, honey crystallization is a natural occurrence. So, while the process is delayed in pasteurized honey, it will still happen eventually. When your honey (pasteurized or unpasteurized) starts to crystallize, place the bottle in a hot water bath between 130F to 140F for a few minutes and stir. The honey should melt evenly and will become a liquid again in no time.

The choice of honey that you use is really up to you! You may prefer unpasteurized honey for the natural yeasts, enzymes, and other possible health and flavour benefits. Or, you may prefer to buy pasteurized honey, as it helps to delay the crystallization process and keeps the honey in a liquid state for a longer, making it easier for you to squeeze out of the bottle.

At Billy Bee, we offer both 100% Canadian, pure, and natural pasteurized and unpasteurized honey to add some sweetness to your life! Whichever type of honey you prefer, you can use the versatile liquid to sweeten hot or cold drinks, in a pasta sauce, to make a sweet glaze for ribs, as a topping on your yogurt breakfast parfait, and so much more!

We are glad to help you find your favorite product! We can help find a retailer in your area that carries what you are looking for. Find the product on our website and click the “Find A Retailer” box to access online retailers as well as stores near you that carry the product.

We do suggest contacting the store prior to making a special trip to ensure it is still in stock. If your local store doesn’t show up on our locator, we advise you to speak with your store manager about availability as they may be able to order it for you.

If you are still unable to locate the product you are looking for, check our Discontinued Product List to ensure it is still being manufactured, or Contact Us directly for assistance.

Our Billy Bee honey has a shelf life of 24 Months (2 years).

While Billy Bee honey products have a 24-month Best by Date, most bottles of honey will start to change texture after about 6 months of opening due to air exposure. The good news is that you always have the option to bring honey back to its original liquid state!

Simply place the bottle of honey in a hot water bath between 130F to 140F for a few minutes. The temperature of the water plays a crucial factor, as warm tap water won’t melt the crystals, while boiling water will overheat the honey and may change the overall quality. Once the honey has melted evenly, give it a good stir, and you’ve got liquid honey again!

Depending on the honey you buy (liquid or creamed), Best By Dates location will vary.
Creamed Honey will have the BB/MA at the bottom of the package and Liquid Honey will have the BB/MA at the upper side of the bottle.

Honey is best stored in a warm place.

Honey is used as a sweetener, so it’s unsurprising that it’s primarily composed of sugar. Approximately 70% is either glucose and fructose, 10% is made up of double or complex sugars, and about 20% is water, meaning that honey has more sugar than can remain naturally dissolved in water.

During Canadian honey farming, our natural honey is harvested fresh from the hive and is packed by Billy Bee without losing its flavour, aroma, or natural goodness. However, the delicate balance of sugar and water can’t remain forever, and the chains of glucose in the honey begin to break down. The glucose molecules fall out of the sugar-water solution and attach themselves to solid matter in the honey, then attach to each other. 

Essentially, this all means that the crunchy substance that develops during the crystallization process is nothing more than sugar crystals! That’s why it’s so easy to turn honey back into its liquid state by heating it up. The heat simply melts the crystals and they are restored into the honey solution.

Thank you for your interest in our products. As a practice, we do not accept ideas or suggestions relating to new products, flavours, packaging, marketing, or recipes as we have departments devoted to product and marketing innovation. While we appreciate feedback on our products, if you still choose to submit an idea or suggestion, you understand and agree that our Website Terms of Use applies to such submissions. Thank you for being a fan!

While we don’t mail out coupons, samples or promotional items related to our brands, we do offer special deals with local stores where there will be more sale prices for everyone. Please check with your local grocery stores to take advantage of special deals when they are offered. You may also find  coupons from some of our products occasionally offered.

Due to the large volume of inquiries we receive, we ask that all donation or sponsorship requests be submitted in writing via email or written letter. For submission guidelines and information, please visit: www.mccormickcorporation.com/en/responsibility/charitable-donations

All requests for donations or sponsorships must be on your organization’s letterhead and include:
•Name of event
•Date of event
•Approximate number of participants
•Cause that will benefit from a donation
•Type of donation/sponsorship requested

Email: charitable_donations@mccormick.com 
Mail:
McCormick Canada
P.O. Box 5788
London, ON N6A 4Z2
Canada
Attention: Donation Request

Fax: (519) 432-4648