Nowadays, when food counterfeiting is widespread, it’s becoming harder for consumers to tell real products from fakes. This is especially true for basic foods such as cheese, honey, and butter — items that regularly appear on our tables. Understanding the signs of authenticity will help protect you and your family from low-quality or even harmful food. As noted by the editorial team at Baltimore Chronicle, paying close attention during shopping can save not only your wallet but also your health.
How to recognize real cheese
Cheese is one of the most commonly faked dairy products. Instead of milk fat, often palm oil or other substitutes are used.
Main signs of quality cheese
- Appearance. Real cheese has a uniform color with no stains or mold. The surface is slightly shiny but not wet or sticky.
- Aroma. Natural cheese has a mild milky aroma, sometimes with sour-milk notes. Fakes often smell like margarine.
- Texture. Good cheese is elastic but not too soft. If it crumbles or spreads easily, it’s likely a substitute.
- Taste. Should be creamy and dairy-like without strange aftertastes.
- Packaging. Read the ingredients. Real cheese must contain at least 50% milk fat. Avoid labels like “cheese product.”
How to test cheese at home
- Place a piece of cheese on a hot frying pan without oil.
- Real cheese will melt and release milk fat.
- Fake will start to smoke or become sticky.
- Wash cheese in hot water. If it falls apart, it’s not real cheese.
How to tell natural honey
Honey is often falsified by adding sugar syrup, starch, or glucose. Such fakes have no benefits and can cause allergies.
Signs of fake honey
- Consistency. Real honey is thick and doesn’t spread quickly. Liquid honey is normal only right after harvesting or after heating.
- Color. Natural honey’s color varies — from light yellow to amber or dark. Too clear honey is suspicious.
- Aroma. Real honey has a strong floral or herbal smell. Fake honey almost doesn’t smell.
- Taste. Slight burning sensation in the throat after a spoonful indicates natural honey.
Home tests for honey
- Water test. Add a spoonful of honey into a glass of water.
- Real honey will settle at the bottom.
- Fake dissolves instantly.
- Paper test. Drop honey on a napkin.
- If it stays dry, honey is natural.
- If wet spot appears, it contains too much water.
- Match test. Dip a matchstick in honey and try to light it.
- If it burns, the honey is real.
Butter: how not to buy margarine
Butter is a source of fat-soluble vitamins. However, spreads or margarine often appear on shelves disguised as butter.
How to spot fake butter
- Color. Real butter is pale yellow or creamy. Bright yellow usually means artificial coloring.
- Smell. Should have a buttery aroma without strange notes.
- Ingredients. Only pasteurized cream should be listed. Avoid “vegetable fats,” “emulsifiers,” or “preservatives.”
- Melting point. Real butter melts at body temperature — leave a piece in your hand.
- Behavior on a pan.
- Real butter foams and smells like fried cream.
- Fake butter smokes and hisses.
Refrigerator test
- Real butter is hard and hard to cut straight from the fridge.
- If it’s soft right out of the fridge, it’s likely a spread.
How to properly read labels
The best weapon of a buyer is attention to ingredients.
- Avoid products with more than 3–5 components.
- Names like “cheese product,” “milk-containing product,” or “buttery spread” mean it’s not real.
- Check country of origin. EU-made products are less often faked than those from unknown producers.
Comparison of key features of real products
| Product | Natural Appearance | Signs of Fake |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | Uniform color, elastic, milky aroma | Crumbles, shiny, sharp smell |
| Honey | Thick, aromatic, slight throat burn | Clear, liquid, no smell |
| Butter | Creamy color, firm in fridge | Soft, bright color, contains vegetable fats |
What else you should know for safe shopping
1. Don’t buy products “from hands” without documents
Even market honey or cheese can contain additives. Ask for certificates or buy from trusted sellers.
2. Avoid promotions on unknown brands
Very low price is a warning sign. Quality products cannot be too cheap.
3. Test products at home
Even after purchase, you can check food quality — as described above. These simple tests are effective.
4. Don’t rely on appearance only
Fakes often look even better than real products. Don’t base decisions only on color or packaging.
5. Choose local producers
Ukrainian farmers often make natural products without chemicals. But buy only from reputable sellers.
Earlier we wrote about how to find real probiotics among store products.