Legal requirements for labels pls.

[Curly green finger's]

Evening all I was wondering if anyone on here could send me the legal requirements for labels pls.
@ericbeaumont eric you did put the details on here but I can't find them.
Thanks.
Mark.

 

[Wilco]

As I understand it, as a minimum you need:

1. Honey (specify type where appropriate based on honey labelling regs, I think 2015)
2. Address to contact/find you. I'm currently trying to find out if an email address is OK rather than my home address but I doubt it.
3. Weight of honey in container
4. Best before date (can give up to 5 years I think)
5. Lot number
6. Country of origin

Writing must be a minimum of 1mm high IIRC.

If selling direct to consumer it's a little less stringent with the option to display some of that information at point of sale. TBH I'd still just play it safe.

Honey labelling regs:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1348/made
Also worth looking at general food labelling regs:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/541/made
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1499/contents/made
Thorne advice sheet (link typed manually as phone playing up so may be incorrectly if it doesn't work):
Www.Thorne.co.uk/image/data/Documents/UK%20Honey%20Labelling%20Regulations.pdf

 

[drex]

The gov.uk pages go on a bit
https://www.freemanharding.co.uk/xi...ing-regulations-in-the-uk.html?page_type=postIs much more user friendly and gives all you need to know

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks both it's for work as they are in the process of sorting there labels out.
Cheers.

 

[Wilco]

Thanks both it's for work as they are in the process of sorting there labels out.
Cheers.

More work but also not hard to design and make your own labels too.

 

[Dodge]

As I understand it, as a minimum you need:

1. Honey (specify type where appropriate based on honey labelling regs, I think 2015)
2. Address to contact/find you. I'm currently trying to find out if an email address is OK rather than my home address but I doubt it.
3. Weight of honey in container
4. Best before date (can give up to 5 years I think)
5. Lot number
6. Country of origin

Writing must be a minimum of 1mm high IIRC.

If selling direct to consumer it's a little less stringent with the option to display some of that information at point of sale. TBH I'd still just play it safe.

Honey labelling regs:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1348/made
Also worth looking at general food labelling regs:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/541/made
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1499/contents/made
Thorne advice sheet (link typed manually as phone playing up so may be incorrectly if it doesn't work):
Www.Thorne.co.uk/image/data/Documents/UK%20Honey%20Labelling%20Regulations.pdf

I am sure in Solihull or Birmingham that one or both accept and email address o the label. This is all down to local authority interpretation. Believe their interpretation is that an address is needed to identify / contact the producer. Phone numbers can change, email addresses don't so the email is fine if trading standards need to contact them.

 

[Curly green finger's]

More work but als

More work but also not hard to design and make your own labels too.

I agree I took a photo for mine from of the flat roof.

Soft set.

Come to the conclusion it's a wee bit to big so at some point I'm going to redesign the label.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Writing must be a minimum of 1mm high IIRC.

Not so.

Relevant legislation is The Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006. Point 8 states Specific requirements as to quantity marking.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Come to the conclusion it's a wee bit to big so at some point I'm going to redesign the label.

That blue sky works well but when you come to re-design, Mark, aim to contain the wording within one hex flat. As it stands, some of it would be hidden if jars were interlocked in rows; try also to set the title HONEY in caps.

 

[Curly green finger's]

That blue sky works well but when you come to re-design, Mark, aim to contain the wording within one hex flat. As it stands, some of it would be hidden if jars were interlocked in rows; try also to set the title HONEY in caps.

I'm also going for round 8oz jars but keeping the hex jars as I've quite a few in stock.
Thanks for the advice.
I want to get rid of the address and use my email?

 

[Wilco]

I'm also going for round 8oz jars but keeping the hex jars as I've quite a few in stock.
Thanks for the advice.
I want to get rid of the address and use my email?

Check with your local authority (trading standards) and get it in writing that that's ok just to be safe.

 

[ericbeaumont]

I'm also going for round 8oz jars

If you do, you'll have to rely on shop staff to set the jars straight so they can be read. Hex sell better than round.

I want to get rid of the address and use my email?

I've always used an email.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Check with your local authority (trading standards) and get it in writing that that's ok just to be safe.

The local TS may give their blessing but Mark will have to contact every TS where he sells honey, and may get variable answers. If he goes ahead without consulting, I doubt they'll bother to challenge it.

 

[Wilco]

Not so.

Relevant legislation is The Weights and Measures (Packaged Goods) Regulations 2006. Point 8 states Specific requirements as to quantity marking.

Think it may have been superceded by more receent EU directive/regs which have since been copied across to UK law although at present I've not got time to chase the exact piece of legislation down?

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/food-la...ust print all the,x-height of 1.2 millimetres.

https://labellingtraining.food.gov.uk/module6/overview_4.html
Edit: this is the EU legislation specifying font size. Article 13, paragraphs 2 and 3 (so I wasn't entirely right). Still trying to locate where it's definitively been put into UK law.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1583243043830&uri=CELEX:02011R1169-20180101

 

[Pembroke]

If you do, you'll have to rely on shop staff to set the jars straight so they can be read. Hex sell better than round.

I've always used an email.

I'm surprised they like email as the 'Hotmail' type of address is so easy to set up you can have a new one in five minutes. Sure one with your own domain might be a bit more exclusive and easier to attach to you. Perhaps a postcode would be acceptable?

 

[pargyle]

I'm surprised they like email as the 'Hotmail' type of address is so easy to set up you can have a new one in five minutes. Sure one with your own domain might be a bit more exclusive and easier to attach to you. Perhaps a postcode would be acceptable?

I rather doubt that TS would construe a hotmail type of email as sufficient ... I'd like to see a copy of a letter where they have agreed to that (or any email address) before risking it. A postcode on its own is not sufficient as it does not provide the requirement to be able to contact the producer.

I'm not sure why there is any desire by anyone not to put your proper address on your honey ..indeed, avoiding putting your full address on rather implies that there is something to hide ?

I've always had my full address on my labels and so far have not had a brick through the window or the local gangs trying to extort the vast sums I (don't) make from beekeeping. Keep it simple and honest folks ...

 

[Bumbling Keeper]

As I understand it, as a minimum you need:

1. Honey (specify type where appropriate based on honey labelling regs, I think 2015)
2. Address to contact/find you. I'm currently trying to find out if an email address is OK rather than my home address but I doubt it.
3. Weight of honey in container
4. Best before date (can give up to 5 years I think)
5. Lot number
6. Country of origin

When I first started I was surprised to learn that we're required to put a 'best before' date on our honey labels.
To me, this makes very little sense since we know that honey remains edible for many years and potentially centuries (the famously 'edible' honey found in an Egyptian tomb was reputedly over 3000 years old).

What is the definition of 'best'? All our honey varieties crystalise at different rates; everyone's own preferences differ - set or runny, strong or mild? Flavours vary from season to season and from flowering crop to flowering crop. Personally, I prefer my honey to be set. Others go to the lengths of heating to make it runny again - if it's been severely filtered it is more likely to remain runny for longer (or over heated), but that means there are less of the other natural components present and if it's been over heated then there's a whole extra discussion.
So how is the humble beekeeper expected to make a judgement into the future as to when their honey is going to be less than 'best'?

I would suggest that far more useful than an arbitrary and meaningless date we should be stating the year of production - the Vintage - in the same way as wine. This could be a useful marketing tool as well as removing the potential for customer complaints based upon a meaningless promise of 'best'.

 

[Curly green finger's]

When I first started I was surprised to learn that we're required to put a 'best before' date on our honey labels.
To me, this makes very little sense since we know that honey remains edible for many years and potentially centuries (the famously 'edible' honey found in an Egyptian tomb was reputedly over 3000 years old).

What is the definition of 'best'? All our honey varieties crystalise at different rates; everyone's own preferences differ - set or runny, strong or mild? Flavours vary from season to season and from flowering crop to flowering crop. Personally, I prefer my honey to be set. Others go to the lengths of heating to make it runny again - if it's been severely filtered it is more likely to remain runny for longer (or over heated), but that means there are less of the other natural components present and if it's been over heated then there's a whole extra discussion.
So how is the humble beekeeper expected to make a judgement into the future as to when their honey is going to be less than 'best'?

I would suggest that far more useful than an arbitrary and meaningless date we should be stating the year of production - the Vintage - in the same way as wine. This could be a useful marketing tool as well as removing the potential for customer complaints based upon a meaningless promise of 'best'.

Interesting you say that about bbf because on my labels bbf is on a separate sticker on the bottom of the jar but on the label it says for bbf see bottom of jar.
On our others it's on the labels.
Apologies I'm only replying to the first part as I have a load of water in the kitchen and a bloody Belfast sink to install after sorting this damn copper pipe work out happy days noooooot!!!

 

[Bumbling Keeper]

Ouch - best of luck with that (the plumbing). Good suggestion on the separate label. Makes it more reasonable for label printing generally.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When I first started I was surprised to learn that we're required to put a 'best before' date on our honey labels.
To me, this makes very little sense since we know that honey remains edible for many years and potentially centuries.

May be - but the physical substance of the honey changes and it can get to look pretty many, so wise to take that into account when working out the date.
The requirement came about because of the food labelling (not honey) regulations and in the advisory it does say they understand honey is everlasting but the regulations say the label has to have one - the duration of the Best before period is very much an arbitrary decision, the concensus is to give three years as this covers things such as material degradation of the lid. Cob honey also goes to look manky pretty quickly as well although the honey is still fine.
You also calculate the BBE date from the day the honey is bottled, not produced/extracted.
I tend to give mine two years.