All Chinese honey banned in UK

[pargyle]

Something along these lines ? ;

Yes ... that's a very good idea ... whilst it would appear that the 'scheme' relies on trust and the only requirement appears to be that the label purchaser is a member of the NIHBS it is still something positive that can be viewed at point of sale by a potential purchaser of the honey.

So ... my question remains ... why isn't there one for honey produced by British, or Welsh or Scottish or even (dare I suggest, at the risk of being politically incorrect !) ENGLISH bees .... ?

Perhaps there should be an organisation started, let's call it the 'British Honey Producers Association'. BHPA - has a certain ring to it doesn't it ? Anyone who produces honey for sale, solely from British Bees ... a Badge, a source of stickers, a membership number to put on your jars. Open to all those small scale honey selling beekeepers who don't quite make the BFA requirements.

£25 a year membership (cheques made out to PARGYLE) and a jar of your best honey every year sent for testing by the Association President (actually, errm, that's me cos I bagged the idea) ... I commend the idea to the house !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What if the honey is produced by italian bees?

 

[alldigging]

What if the honey is produced by italian bees?

You'd have to say 'made by bees in England'..

 

[madasafish]

You'd have to say 'made by bees in England'..

Not if the bees are in Wales, or Ireland or Scotland.

(Parochial

 

[itma]

Something along these lines ? ;

I suggested that the local Association might get some 'tamperproofing' labels made up proclaiming associaton membership.
The idea drowned in a sea of apathy.

Still think its a nice idea, proclaiming 'localness' and promoting the association. But then I'm obviously wrong!

 

[mbc]

So ... my question remains ... why isn't there one for honey produced by British, or Welsh or Scottish or even (dare I suggest, at the risk of being politically incorrect !) ENGLISH bees .... ?

NIHBS is a new organisation which is showing much initiative and possibly showing the way for the rest of us to follow,,,,,watch this space and see if anything gets afloat this side of the mickermere,, or will it all drown in itma's sea of apathy ?

 

[Norton]

Doesn't really matter whether it's harmful or not. It isn't honey. It's honey with antibiotics, and that ain't on the label.

Would this also apply to british honey/beeswax from colonies that have been treated with an antibiotic for EFB?

 

[madasafish]

Would this also apply to british honey/beeswax from colonies that have been treated with an antibiotic for EFB?

Illegal in the UK I believe.

 

[parkranger]

Apologies for going slightly off-topic but how does "produce from EU and other countries" satisfy the labelling requirements?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not if the bees are in Wales, or Ireland or Scotland.

(Parochial

What if they'e in the border counties - say on Welsh land but foraging on Welsh land which has squatters on and now call it England

 

[Norton]

Illegal in the UK I believe.

Not according to the Beebase website:
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=89

 

[alanf]

Apologies for going slightly off-topic but how does "produce from EU and other countries" satisfy the labelling requirements?

It's normally a form of words such as "a blend of honeys from the EU and non EU countries". You have to declare the origin, but not the proportions and test cases say that satisfies the legal requirements. It doesn't tell you a great deal and that's partly the aim. The packer can buy in based on price, colour, viscosity even taste and the label stays the same apart from the overprinted batch number and expiry date. The usual rules are that the less specific the origin, the more likely ingredients have been bought on price and while quality might be good, it is not the first consideration.

The biggest loophole is probably in the processed food sector where if the final processing is done here it can be labelled "British". So bacon from imported pork but sliced and packed in Britain can be "British". Part of the argument from UK pig farmers is that the health and welfare regulations are higher here, the customer thinks they are supporting UK farmers and minimum welfare requirements for the pigs when that's not the case. Same applies elsewhere, "Greek" yogurt can be made with milk from Germany, Poland or wherever.

 

[user 6228]

It's normally a form of words such as "a blend of honeys from the EU and non EU countries". You have to declare the origin, but not the proportions and test cases say that satisfies the legal requirements. It doesn't tell you a great deal and that's partly the aim. The packer can buy in based on price, colour, viscosity even taste and the label stays the same apart from the overprinted batch number and expiry date. The usual rules are that the less specific the origin, the more likely ingredients have been bought on price and while quality might be good, it is not the first consideration.

The biggest loophole is probably in the processed food sector where if the final processing is done here it can be labelled "British". So bacon from imported pork but sliced and packed in Britain can be "British". Part of the argument from UK pig farmers is that the health and welfare regulations are higher here, the customer thinks they are supporting UK farmers and minimum welfare requirements for the pigs when that's not the case. Same applies elsewhere, "Greek" yogurt can be made with milk from Germany, Poland or wherever.

it works the other way... parma ham from british pigs. The ham is dried in the controlled region thats all.

 

[dpearce4]

there was a cheese produced in Sussex to the same method as parmesan, it was then matured here then sent to parma to be cut up. It was labelled as Twineham Grange, vegetarian parmesan. The name was banned in the end because it wasn't made with animal rennet as "proper" parmesan is. The same company that was doing this (Italian) was also making Parmesan in the low countries and then shipping it to parma to be finished. its what the supermarkets sell so cheaply. The same happens with Parma ham as well.

 

[pargyle]

NIHBS is a new organisation which is showing much initiative and possibly showing the way for the rest of us to follow,,,,,watch this space and see if anything gets afloat this side of the mickermere,, or will it all drown in itma's sea of apathy ?

Well, seriously, I think it's a great idea ...but there are a lot of very parochial beekeepers and I suspect that it's probably not so much a case of apathy more one of people doing what they have always done ... I don't know many beekeepers, who sell their own honey, that carry huge stocks over from season to season so they probably sell most of what they produce.

However, clever marketing can often generate a higher retail price and anything that creates 'added value' when it comes to selling something is good in my book. It's a downward spiral competing on price ... I know, I used to work in the perfume industry ... 'sell the sizzle not the sausage' was what our CEO used to say on a daily basis. You can sell less and make more if you are clever.... even in these tough times !

I saw 'specialist' honeys on sale in Sainbury today for £11+ a jar ... they wouldn't stock it if it didn't sell !

 

[REDWOOD]

There are other things they should ban that comes from China, well most of it to be honest. I bought some bearings a few years ago that came from China and on the box was written very well made guaranteed for ever, and they didn't last 2 minutes and the supplier just gave me new ones that lasted exactly the same amount of time lol

 

[Nige.Coll]

just had the association news letter.
it seems the government have set up a company called food forensics to look into fake food stuffs sold in the country honey being one of their priorities.


http://foodforensics.co.uk/

sry if this was posted before i didn't read all the thread.