Why does honey never spoil?

Archaeologists found 3,000-year-old honey that was still edible.

The answer

Honey's near-immortal shelf life comes from a perfect storm of preservation factors. Its extremely low moisture content (about 17%) and high sugar concentration create an environment where bacteria cannot survive through osmotic stress. Honey is also naturally acidic with a pH around 3.9, and bees add the enzyme glucose oxidase, which produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide as a further antimicrobial agent.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

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