Labelling Requirements for Honey

1. Labelling Requirements for Honey Nicki Rose Regulatory Services (Trading Standards)

2. Relevant Legislation • The Honey (England) Regulations 2015 • EU 1169/2011 - Food Information to Consumers Regs • The Food Information Regulations 2014 • The Food (Lot Marking) Regulations 1996 • Weights and Measures Act 1985

3. EU 1169/2011(FIC) • Food Information should not be misleading and should be provided in a clear accurate and easy to understand format so that the consumer can make “informed” choices

4. Food Information Regulations (FIR) • Transposition of FIC • FIR references FIC directly • All in force as of 13 December 2016

5. FIC - Mandatory Food Information Section 1 – CONTENT & PRESENTATION • Article 9 – List of Mandatory Particulars • Article 10 – Additional mandatory particulars for specific types or categories of foods • Article 11 – Weights and Measures • Article 12 – Availability and placement of mandatory food info • Article 13 – Presentation of mandatory particulars • Article 14 – Distance selling • Article 15 – Language requirements • Article 16 – Omission of certain mandatory particulars Section 2 – DETAILED PROVISIONS ON MANDATORY PARTICULARS • Article 17 – Name of the food • Article 18 – List of ingredients • Article 19 – Omission of the list of ingredients • Article 20 – Omission of constituents of food from the list of ingredients • Article 21 – Labelling of allergens • Article 22 – QUID • Article 23 – Net Quantity • Article 24 – Min durability date, use by and date of freezing • Article 25 – Storage conditions/conditions of use • Article 26 – Country of origin/place of provenance • Article 27 – Instructions for use • Article 28 – Alcoholic strength Section 3 – NUTRITION DECLARATION • Article 29 – Relationship with other legislation • Article 30 – Content • Article 31 – Calculation • Article 32 – Expression per 100g or per 100ml • Article 33 – Expression per portion or per consumption unit • Article 34 – Presentation • Article 35 – Additional forms of expression and presentation

6. Labelling • Information requirements in FIC / FIR • Information requirements in the Honey Regs • IS IT PRE-PACKED?

7. FIR – Key Changes • Allergen information emphasised in the ingredients list for prepacked foods • Allergen information to be made available to consumers for non-prepacked food including catering • Minimum font size for mandatory information

8. FIR – Key Changes • Country of origin for fresh, chilled and frozen meat of sheep, pigs, goats and poultry • Date of freezing or first freezing - meat / fish • Compositional standards for minced meat • High caffeine warning and caffeine content

9. Allergens

10. FIR – Key Changes • Added water to be declared in name of food • Meat products • Appearance of cut, joint, slice, portion or carcass • Fishery products • Appearance of cut, joint, slice, portion fillet or whole • Nutritional labelling required (most prepacked foods) and presented in a consistent format

11. Prepacked or Non-Prepacked • Pre-packed – a food sold to the consumer in a packed form by a person not responsible for the packing e.g. Sale through a retailer • Non Prepacked – all food that is not prepacked • Pre-packed for direct sale e.g. A beekeeper sells only from the gate • Loose foods • Foods for immediate consumption

12. Why does it matter? • Prepacked foods require full labelling • Non prepacked foods require minimal labelling

13. Pre-Packed - General Labelling Requirement • Name of the food • List of ingredients • Durability indication • Storage conditions or conditions of use • Name and address of either the packer or manufacturer or the seller • Place of origin • Instructions for use • Allergens • Nutrition

14. Name – Honey Regs • Honey = the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from the secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit , dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature • Definition in legislation = a prescribed name • Compositional standards = a reserved description

15. “HONEY” Blossom Honey Nectar Honey Honeydew Honey Drained Honey Extracted Honey Pressed Honey FULL NAME needed Filtered Honey Chunk Honey Cut Comb in Honey Comb Honey Bakers Honey NAME – Honey Regs

16. Supplementation of the Name • Floral or vegetable origin • Regional / topographical / territorial area • Specific Quality Criteria e.g pure, fresh, natural • Organic • Other

17. Pre-Packed - General Labelling Requirement • Name of the food • List of ingredients • Durability indication • Storage conditions or conditions of use • Name and address of either the packer or manufacturer or the seller • Place of origin • Instructions for use • Allergens • Nutrition

18. Ingredients • Honey is exempt – single ingredient food whose name is that of the ingredient

19. Pre-Packed - General Labelling Requirement • Name of the food • List of ingredients • Durability indication • Storage conditions or conditions of use • Name and address of either the packer or manufacturer or the seller • Place of origin • Instructions for use • Allergens • Nutrition

20. Durability / Storage • Honey – Best Before • Month and Year as minimum • “Best Before End” Nov 2019 • “Best Before” 20 Nov 2019* • Storage – to maintain the quality until the Best Before Date

21. Pre-Packed - General Labelling Requirement • Name of the food • List of ingredients • Durability indication • Storage conditions or conditions of use • Name and address of either the packer or manufacturer or the seller • Place of origin • Instructions for use • Allergens • Nutrition

22. Name and Address • Name of packer, seller or manufacturer • Sufficient to identify the responsible party

23. Pre-Packed - General Labelling Requirement • Name of the food • List of ingredients • Durability indication • Storage conditions or conditions of use • Name and address of either the packer or manufacturer or the seller • Place of origin • Instructions for use • Allergens • Nutrition

24. Country of Origin From a single country From multiple countries Specific wording “Blend of EU honeys” “Blend of non-EU honeys” “Blend of EU and non-EU honeys” • NO format set • Must be COUNTRY • Produce of UK • Produce of England • UK Honey

25. Pre-Packed - General Labelling Requirement • Name of the food • List of ingredients • Durability indication • Storage conditions or conditions of use • Name and address of either the packer or manufacturer or the seller • Place of origin • Instructions for use • Allergens • Nutrition

26. Nutrition • Exempt – FIC Annex V • Unprocessed product that comprise a single ingredient • Food directly supplied by the manufacturer of small quantities of products to the final consumer or to LOCAL retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer

27. Nutrition Back of Pack Back of small pack

28. Back of Pack (BOP) Labels Required Optional Can include per portion Must state quantity AND number of portions Serves X Can include Reference Intake per 100g or 100ml or per portion Must state “Reference Intake of an average adult (8400kj/2000kcal)” • Must be in order • Declared values must be average • Figures to be given as SOLD • Unless statement to say as prepared for consumption • Must be provided per 100g or 100ml

29. Front of Pack (FOP) Labels Traffic Lights No lights

30. Information Requirements for Pre-Packed foods • On packaging OR • On label attached to the packaging OR • On label visible through the packaging • Intelligibility • Field of Vision

31. Pre-Packed for Direct Sale • Applies to honey sold at the farm gate and at farmers markets • Requires • Name of the food • Country of Origin • Weight

32. Lot Marking • Must be on a label or on the packaging • Easily visible • Clearly legible – can be handwritten • Indelible • Preceded by the letter L unless obvious • Use the best before date (D/M/Y)as a lot number

33. Weight Marking • Previously – prescribed quantities • April 2009 – any amount • Must be metric

34. Weight Marking - Units • UnitSymbol • Kilogram kg • Gram g • Pound lb • Ounce oz

35. Weight Marking - Size • > 1 kg 6mm • > 200g < = 1kg 4mm • > 50g < = 200g 3mm • <= 50g 2mm • e 3mm

36. Minimum Each jar contains at least the declared weight (net) Average Each jar may contain slightly more or less than the declared weight (net) Weight – how?

37. Weighing Minimum System Average System Establish the base tare weight OR weigh each jar Fill jars Check a proportion Refill any underweight jars • Weigh each jar ( don’t forget the lid)

38. Average System - Records • Time • Date • Weights found – including tare used • Batch indication (lot mark) • Any refilling (details as above) • KEEP RECORDS FOR A YEAR

39. OFFENCES • Weights and Measures • Not using reserved description as required • Not labelling correctly • Improvement Notices • Penalty = £5,000.00

40. BHIPA Voluntary Code of Practice “Unsuitable for Children Under 12 months”