Honey jars and labels

[Alabamaeee]

Think I'll give the Avery labels a try as I have two inkjet printers, both dye based, but won't hurt to experiment

 

[dpearce4]

Epsons Dura brite printers are waterproof and light stable inks i used them when i produced products for my shop work really well. just dont buy the cheaper lookalike inks for them as they arnt even thought they say they are.

 

[richardbees]

I don't have a colour printer but do believe a good label helps sell my honey.

So I buy my labels from someone I found on ePay - she designed them exactly as i wanted, and to the size that fits the 1lb twist lid jar, they cost 10 /£1

PM me for info

richard

 

[milkermel]

ink jet will rub off if damp but just make sure jars are clean before you label. I created these last night but now I now realise that I will have to add a bit more info and make the weight larger, apart from that think they work fine, I created them using the avery software label size was 98.1x32 i think, but it is a fairly standard label size 14 per sheet £15 sheets for £5.
With regard to images have a look at microsoft free clip art, not a lot there, but not bad either

 

[PaleoPerson]

ink jet will rub off if damp but just make sure jars are clean before you label. I created these last night but now I now realise that I will have to add a bit more info and make the weight larger, apart from that think they work fine, I created them using the avery software label size was 98.1x32 i think, but it is a fairly standard label size 14 per sheet £15 sheets for £5.
With regard to images have a look at microsoft free clip art, not a lot there, but not bad either

Nice simple layout that works.

However, you do need to check the font sizes, also I do not think you can abbreviate Best Before on this size jar. You also have to include "Made in the UK" or "Produce of the UK" if all of the contents are from the UK. The date show, is that the lot number?

You can begin to see where the regs can easily trip you up.

Otherwise, looks neat.

 

[milkermel]

yep these were the changes i realised i had to make afterwards!! weight apparently has to be in a 4mm min font for a 1lb jar. best before is apprently only 2 years recommended but i wasnt aware that I couldnt abbreviate. Just wondering though If I have on the label Cornish Honey is that sufficient instead of product of the UK?

Oh and the other thing I was wondering about is the Lot number?? I may be lucky and get 60lb of honey in total from my hives how do I split this down into lots? I was just going to extract it all together and jar it up in one Lot.

 

[Moggs]

Hi MM. you don't need to split it deliberately into lots. In fact, you may not even need lot numbers if you are selling direct. The labelling regs are a minefield. For example, you rightly say 4mm height font for 1lb jar - it gets better! There must be no space between figures and 'g' in weight indication, grammes must apeear before lb, no misleading pics of flowers, etc.

I gave up printing my own as being too risky because the labels must be waterproof for long-term storage.

A good knowledge of the honey labelling regs can be very useful when browsing garden centres! Surprising how many purveyors are technically breaking the law!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Just wondering though If I have on the label Cornish Honey is that sufficient instead of product of the UK?

if you are selling via a farm shop, no, it must say country of origin, unless you can convince the EU and trading standard that cornwall is a country,

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMJYzyty2Z8[/ame]

 

[milkermel]

some down here still believe that cornwall is no differant to scotland or wales. Personally Im not fussed just like the area! I was wrongly presuming that the UK was to give it a location and that therefore cornwall was one step better back to the printer!

I only plan to sell at the door and car boots I have had one shop want to buy my honey, however they are only willing to pay 3.50 a jar even though he sells it at 5.50 I know he has to make a mark up but I already have people wanting it when i do a proper batch so will see how it goes. My girls have worked hard and I have spent a small fortune on them so would prefer the money to stay in my pocket

 

[richardbees]

milkermel

If you are personally selling it - please put exactly what you like on the label and forget about this EU Stasi jackboot on your neck crap!

I have 1lb in bold with 454 in smaller print underneath so peeps can compare with stuff they've seen in waitrose. No 'produce of UK' no 'lot number' no 'best by' etc

It's depressing that the BBKA are trying to force us all into the euromould...someone brought me back a jar of honey from Greece and it had none of the EEC propoganda on the label, the text translated into something like "Honey from beehives in my Grandmothers back garden"

I feel very strongly about this, 99% of beekeepers are not commercial and shouldn't be bound by EU legislation

 

[milkermel]

milkermel

If you are personally selling it - please put exactly what you like on the label and forget about this EU Stasi jackboot on your neck crap!

I have 1lb in bold with 454 in smaller print underneath so peeps can compare with stuff they've seen in waitrose. No 'produce of UK' no 'lot number' no 'best by' etc

It's depressing that the BBKA are trying to force us all into the euromould...someone brought me back a jar of honey from Greece and it had none of the EEC propoganda on the label, the text translated into something like "Honey from beehives in my Grandmothers back garden"

I feel very strongly about this, 99% of beekeepers are not commercial and shouldn't be bound by EU legislation

 

[PaleoPerson]

I generally agree in the principle of what Richardbees is saying.

However, it is NOT the BBKA that is pushing the regs down our throat. It is effectively the EU and is enforced by Trading Standards.

If you are only selling off the doorstep, then you basically can do as you please. As soon as you sell through a third party (my mum sells some from her door - does that count?) then the rules have to be adhered to.

Just because you can buy honey abroad or in the UK that do not comply to the EU labelling regs only means that they have not come under the scrutiny of the local agencies.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

milkermel

If you are personally selling it - please put exactly what you like on the label and forget about this EU Stasi jackboot on your neck crap!

I have 1lb in bold with 454 in smaller print underneath so peeps can compare with stuff they've seen in waitrose. No 'produce of UK' no 'lot number' no 'best by' etc

It's depressing that the BBKA are trying to force us all into the euromould...someone brought me back a jar of honey from Greece and it had none of the EEC propoganda on the label, the text translated into something like "Honey from beehives in my Grandmothers back garden"

I feel very strongly about this, 99% of beekeepers are not commercial and shouldn't be bound by EU legislation

 

[Swarm]

Trouble is, as with most of this EU legislation, the UK adheres to it stringently whereas things carry on as normal and are largely ignored in other countries.

I thought these labelling regs also apply if you sell from a stall or similar at farmers' markets?

 

[milkermel]

will see what happens when i make it to the next car boot! we have a chap who sells booze and fags at our local, everyone knows it and even the bobbys just walk by! makes you wonder if everyone is getting fed up with rules and regs at the moment

 

[Steve Dyer]

There must be no space between figures and 'g' in weight indication, grammes must apeear before lb.

The BBKA booklet "Advice for Beekeepers" B10 Page 4 para 6, says: "There must be one type space between the numerical value and the unit or its abbreviation"

Steve

 

[raysa]

The main requirements of labelling regulations are pretty clear, and it takes no more effort to print (or get printed) labels which meet the rules as those that don't. Can't say I favour deliberately getting labels wrong just for the sake of a Euro-rant.

And there is an important point to the requirement of lot numbers. In the unlikely (but certainly not impossible) event that some kind of agricultural contamination is discovered in the product, it could be important to know exactly when the honey was gathered (and where, if the beekeeper has more than one apiary).

Ray

 

[PaleoPerson]

A point in the regulations that may be of interest is:

<---snip-->
5.1 Offences and penalties
Regulation 7(1)
The Regulations create offences where a person sells, offers for sale or
exposes for sale:
ƒ a food bearing one of the reserved descriptions, where that
reserved description is not used in line with the requirements of
Regulation 3 (explained at paragraph 2.2 above);
ƒ a specified honey product that is not labelled in line with the
requirements of Regulations 4 and 5.
The penalty on conviction for an offence under the Regulations is a fine not
exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5,000).

<--end snip-->

Taken from: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/honeyguidance.pdf

 

[richardbees]

Paleo

Keep up at the back! - the end penalty is imprisonment for non payment of the £5,000 fine, a la pensioners not paying their TV licence fines.

 

[PaleoPerson]

Paleo

Keep up at the back! - the end penalty is imprisonment for non payment of the £5,000 fine, a la pensioners not paying their TV licence fines.

Too True