Bees use nectar to make honey; they collect nectar from a variety of plants, which means a variety of types of honey. Honey is a naturally produced functional food proven to have a positive effect on health. The advantageous properties of honey include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, wound and sunburn healing, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antimicrobial activities.

Honey is characterised by many different traits, and colour being the most important physical one. From the colour of honey, one can determine the geographical origin as well as what variety of plants the honey originates from. Many factors have been found to affect the colour of honey, including minerals, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. Darker honey has been found to have a higher antioxidant capacity and is often used in natural health regiments. Studies have proven how important antioxidants are in fighting disease, so an accurate way to quantify the antioxidants in honey is important. Including honey with high level of antioxidants in a diet has shown to reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

The natural colour of honey presents many tonalities: from straw yellow to amber, from dark amber to almost black with a hint of red. In 1964, a standard system of honey grading using a Pfund Honey Colour Grader was introduced in Australia. It was modified in June 1981 to bring the Australian scale in line with the international scale: