Honey label petition

[JamezF]

That is interesting....and begs the question, what if honey is 'adulterated' with another natural product...eg H2O....commercially the water content of honey can go up to 20%. So, any honey (let's say with a water content of 17%), can have additional water added to it and still be commercially viable...multiply that by tons (imported or otherwise), and some serious money is made !

Or reduce the water content as far as possible, ship it more cheaply and add water to take it back up to 20% when it gets where it is going?

James

 

[PeaBee]

From what I understand the standard practice in China is for the beekeepers to extract it as nectar then (presumably to save on kit as they are almost nomadic) It then passes through intermediaries and at some stage gets "dried" to get the water content down. So they presumably could ,with that kit, reduce it further, but then they would be selling less tonnage to the international brokers. Long murky supply chain!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

well, there's your answer - no surprise there

Government responded:

Honey on sale in England must comply with the Honey Regulations 2015. The regulations and their enforcement are fit for purpose, protecting consumers, producers and businesses from fraud.

The Government recognises the importance of quality standards for all foods, including honey. All honey on sale, regardless of where it comes from, must comply with the Honey (England) Regulations 2015, with equivalent legislation applying across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This legislation sets out detailed specifications of its composition, labelling, and quality criteria.
Honey fraud is taken very seriously, and we work closely with enforcement authorities, the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit, Food Standards Scotland’s (FSS) Food Crime and Incidence Unit, industry, and others on investigating any fraud issues raised, to ensure honey sold in the UK is not subject to fraud, meets our high standards, and maintain a level playing field between honey producers.
We are confident the honey regulations and enforcement of those regulations are fit for purpose but acknowledge honey is a complex natural product. Analysis to determine if honey has been adulterated can often be challenging.
Defra is actively working with the FSA, FSS, and Government Chemist to provide further clarity to those carrying out monitoring and enforcement checks of honey, which protect consumers and legitimate businesses.

 

[Garry R]

I got the Government reply today. What a load of "everything's OK so we won't be doing anything about it. PS We are all on holiday so please don't spoil our well deserved time off....." Once again just swept under the carpet.

 

[pargyle]

well, there's your answer - no surprise there

Government responded:

Yes ... usual platitudes - I didn't expect much else really - it's a niche that there is no mileage in it for government ... consumer and media pressure is the only thing that promotes change - BSE ? Tesco Horsemeat scandal ? things change - honey ? No interest ....