Labelling honey

Here is a summary of the honey labelling regulations. For more detailed information, go to the website of Hampshire County Council. https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/tradingstandards/businessadvice/food/foodlabelling/labellinghoney

• The word Honey is required

• The weight must be on the label. It is a legal requirement to display the metric weight in a font at least 4mm high. If you decide to show the Imperial weight as well, the metric weight must be more prominent and it goes without saying, you must ensure your jar contains at least the stated weight!

• You can specify the area where the honey is produced, for example, Hampshire

• You can specify the type of honey. For example, Blossom, Heather, Borage. You must be able to prove the honey is at least 75% of the named type

• If you are selling honey, you must have your name and address on the label. It does not need to be complete but you should be traceable from the information provided

• If you are selling honey through a third party, you must have a lot number and keep a record of who you supplied it to.

• You must have a best before date on the jar. We suggest five years from now

• You must have a country of origin on the jar. Adding the country to the end of your address is not acceptable

Detailed information can be found at https://www.food.gov.uk/search?keywords=honey&fax=

In addition to the above (and this is not a requirement), you may wish to consider a granulation statement. This could be added to a label on the back of the jar. Here’s an example:

This honey was produced in (insert) Hampshire by bees working on local, flowers, trees and crops. This pure honey may granulate (become solid) in cooler conditions. You don’t have to keep honey in the fridge. Granulation is in fact the best proof of a honey’s purity. Honey can be returned to its original state by loosing the lid and standing the jar in a bowl of hot water. To microwave in short bursts, remove the lid, select low power and stir regularly.