New honey jar labels have arrived

[Robert Clark]

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[ericbeaumont]

Check the regs. before you go to print: unless the honey has at least 75% nectar from those plants pictured, it is not legal.

The plants shown are one calendula, one cornflower, some sort of echinacea with two types of leaf and a mystery flower-head with berries. None of these are of much interest to bees and unlikely to be found in Ashdown Forest.

You may or may not (probably not) get into trouble with TS for the use of the word 'raw'.

What is on the back of the label?

 

[Robert Clark]

Check the regs. before you go to print: unless the honey has at least 75% nectar from those plants pictured, it is not legal.

The plants shown are one calendula, one cornflower, some sort of echinacea with two types of leaf and a mystery flower-head with berries. None of these are of much interest to bees and unlikely to be found in Ashdown Forest.

You may or may not (probably not) get into trouble with TS for the use of the word 'raw'.

What is on the back of the label?

It’s interesting when you look around how few labels actually comply with the letter of the labelling regulations.
I’m sure trading standards has bigger fish to fry than someone selling a few jars of honey at the garden gate

 

[ericbeaumont]

few labels actually comply with the letter of the labelling regulations.

True: I was in a farm shop in Abinger Hammer recently and of the six or seven local honeys, only one or two were legit.

trading standards has bigger fish

True, but we shouldn't need TS to tell us how to get it right. Every inaccurate label reflects poorly on us all, and it's not difficult to get right.

Have you a photo of your back label?

 

[Robert Clark]

True: I was in a farm shop in Abinger Hammer recently and of the six or seven local honeys, only one or two were legit.


True, but we shouldn't need TS to tell us how to get it right. Every inaccurate label reflects poorly on us all, and it's not difficult to get right.

Have you a photo of your back label?

Did you report your findings to the farm shop owner ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Did you report your findings to the farm shop owner ?

You never know….. somebody may report you.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Did you report your findings to the farm shop owner ?

No, but I did in a butcher's near Godalming. The label read 'creamed honey' which is so out of date it probably originated 2 centuries ago.

I aimed to sell the news to the butcher in a way that he would accept it; he certainly was not offended, and had no idea. I'll have a look next time I go there; the Scotch eggs & pies are made locally and the best.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Did you report your findings to the farm shop owner ?

Messenger likely to be shot, because the news may easily spotlight the shopkeeper's ignorance rather than that of the beekeeper.

Roundabout way to introduce change: persuade Surrey BKA to give a talk on label legality & design (some on the shelf were dire).

 

[Penninetrader]

Most beeks are just that, they are not slick business people, I imagine that if the contents of their tin is how they are judged then a label may not seem that important.

 

[Moobee]

Most beeks are just that, they are not slick business people, I imagine that if the contents of their tin is how they are judged then a label may not seem that important.

They don’t need to be slick business people but if you are selling food to the general public, it’s your responsibility to follow the law. It’s really not that difficult tbh.

 

[Penninetrader]

They don’t need to be slick business people but if you are selling food to the general public, it’s your responsibility to follow the law. It’s really not that difficult tbh.

I imagine that our new beek has a label that sufficiently describes it's contents to the satisfaction of those who purchase such goods. Labeling whose purpose is to intentionally deceive would be my main worry, many examples of which adorn our supermarket shelves without any response from your feared TS officers. I may reserve further comment on this subject to direct it at said TS in my area instead.