Real honey at RHS Wisley,

[ics19]

Here is the UK Food Standards Authority doc. Criteria for the Use of the terms Fresh, Pure, Natural etc in Food

Good call, not seen this one before. Leaving aside RAW for a moment, the term PURE as defined here, would seem superfluous in some labelling like the previously pictured Littleover jars, e.g.:
"Pure Organic" - if it wasn't pure it isn't organic full stop? and "Pure Honey" because by the TS definition of 'honey' it has to be 100% in any case?

 

[Repwoc]

But nowhere does it say you cannot use a word that describes your honey. Eg. Raw!
I reiterate. I don't use it on my jars but do use it on an advertising poster.
E

The honey regs actually specifically permit additional descriptive words in the name:

"(5) The product name of a relevant honey may be supplemented by information relating to its specific quality criteria"

 

[charlievictorbravo]

The honey regs actually specifically permit additional descriptive words in the name:

"(5) The product name of a relevant honey may be supplemented by information relating to its specific quality criteria"

One of the best honey labels that I've seen has a small paragraph of text set at right angle to the legal stuff that says "Our ....... Honey is all natural, untreated and cold filtered. We make every effort to ensure that all of its natural goodness is contained just as nature intended. Our bees gather nectar from multiple flower sources, giving the honey both a unique flavour and colour".

Now you might want to nit-pick about some of the wording but that seems to me to set out exactly what most beekeepers aspire to and gives information that answers most questions from potential customers.

Remember - The label on the outside of the jar sells the first jar to a customer; the contents sell all subsequent jars. The label needs to be attractive, informative and comply with the various regulations.

CVB

 

[Repwoc]

One of the best honey labels that I've seen has a small paragraph of text set at right angle to the legal stuff that says "Our ....... Honey is all natural, untreated and cold filtered. We make every effort to ensure that all of its natural goodness is contained just as nature intended. Our bees gather nectar from multiple flower sources, giving the honey both a unique flavour and colour".

Now you might want to nit-pick about some of the wording but that seems to me to set out exactly what most beekeepers aspire to and gives information that answers most questions from potential customers.

Remember - The label on the outside of the jar sells the first jar to a customer; the contents sell all subsequent jars. The label needs to be attractive, informative and comply with the various regulations.

CVB

Couldn't agree more.

What is the word that you substituted with .......?

 

[ericbeaumont]

The honey regs actually specifically permit additional descriptive words in the name: "(5) The product name of a relevant honey may be supplemented by information relating to its specific quality criteria"

the term PURE as defined here, would seem superfluous in some labelling like the previously pictured Littleover jars, e.g.:
"Pure Organic" - if it wasn't pure it isn't organic full stop? and "Pure Honey" because by the TS definition of 'honey' it has to be 100% in any case?

Supplementary descriptions may be permissible but the beekeeper must ask: what is the purpose of using them, and what is the outcome?

The aim is to persuade the customer that your product is much better than the average, but the the use of buzzwords that either claim the obvious or the unlikely may well lead to over-sell.

CVB's quote sums it up well: less is more.

 

[Repwoc]

Supplementary descriptions may be permissible but the beekeeper must ask: what is the purpose of using them, and what is the outcome?

The aim is to persuade the customer that your product is much better than the average, but the the use of buzzwords that either claim the obvious or the unlikely may well lead to over-sell.

CVB's quote sums it up well: less is more.

Are you saying that every jar labelled 'honey' is the same quality product, because the regs say it can't be anything else? If so, we are all in big trouble because that includes every jar of 'honey' on supermarket shelves selling for as little as £1 / lb.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Couldn't agree more.

What is the word that you substituted with .......?

I removed the reference to the location because it might identify the beekeeper, who is a member on this forum. He might not want some of the awkward b*ggers on here tearing his label to bits - not that I think there's anything wrong with his wording but .....

If he wishes to identify himself, that's up to him.

CVB

 

[Ian123]

Am guessing this is as raw as it gets. Flick through the pictures!!..... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greek-Fore...4574158553&psc=1#immersive-view_1578858837558

 

[ericbeaumont]

Are you saying that every jar labelled 'honey' is the same quality product, because the regs say it can't be anything else? If so, we are all in big trouble because that includes every jar of 'honey' on supermarket shelves selling for as little as £1 / lb.

No, just that descriptive wording is a minefield (whether the regs. permit them or not) and the more you put on the label won't always achieve the outcome you want.

As ICS stated, the use of pure can be superfluous and the meaning of raw dubious; I steer clear of them, but then I have the opportunity to inform the customer in front of me: they may ask Is it raw? but are more convinced that they're talking to the beekeeper, tasting the honey, and reading the locality on the label. However, I can see that if you supply to a third party a way must be found to differentiate the local from the EU-non-EU stuff on the same shelf. Perhaps the sort of wording that CVB quoted would be enough? It's certainly a plain description that would be hard to misinterpret.

If the Honey Regs (Part 4, 17 (5) permit that The product name of a relevant honey may be supplemented by information relating to its specific quality criteria, you could label your honey as Natural Pure Raw Authentic Newport Honey, but given the shaky meaning of the first four words, what would be gained? Honey labelled as such is trying too hard, and the sort of description that Neil Pont would probably call over-emphasis which might mislead. It also may introduce or confirm in the mind of the customer that there is honey which is not natural, raw, pure, etc, which is a confusion we ought to consider.

What did the Food Advisory Committee conclude? That these terms were being misused in some cases, and that there was clear room for improvement. It felt that use had in some cases become far-removed from generally accepted meanings and had the potential to mislead consumers, even after making due allowance for changes to the accepted meaning and use of words over time.

As I said, a minefield; I'm staying clear.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Am guessing this is as raw as it gets. Flick through the pictures!!..... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greek-Fore...4574158553&psc=1#immersive-view_1578858837558

But, given the convincing description of it's provenance, did it need the word raw?

 

[Repwoc]

you could label your honey as Natural Pure Raw Authentic Newport Honey, but given the shaky meaning of the first four words, what would be gained?

There are 16 Newports in the UK, so that word is probably the shakiest of the lot, except possibly for "honey".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport

 

[ericbeaumont]

There are 16 Newports in the UK, so that word is probably the shakiest of the lot, except possibly for "honey".

Does your Newport have a King's Hotel? I was there for two days in 1992 to see Jerry Lee Lewis play the ballroom (here's Youtube with Lewis Boogie & End of The Road). The corner shops had grilles over the doors (just like Hackney in those days!) and on Saturday night the high street was awash with lubricated leaning locals, broken glass and wary police. Beer was cheap, I recall.

PS: discovered that the King's Hotel closed in 2012.

 

[Repwoc]

The corner shops had grilles over the doors (just like Hackney in those days!) and on Saturday night the high street was awash with lubricated leaning locals, broken glass and wary police.

That's the place. We'll soon be moving, however, to a rural property recently purchased with room for more bees! Once we've built the new house, that is.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Spotted today in Charlie’s at Aberystwyth
Hilltop honey being sold at £2.25/£2.50 for 340g.
Mostly EU and EU/non EU blend with a few jars of Welsh Blossom honey for the same price.
200g cut comb was £3.99
The only honey sold out was labelled RAW thyme honey from Spain.
Not much hope for the rest of us.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

From the Amazon honey ad a few posts above, "A moderate amount of the honeycomb's wax, consumed daily, is extremely beneficial to the stomach and intestines".

Jumping off the RAW thread, Is there proof of the above?

 

[Popparand]

Are you saying that every jar labelled 'honey' is the same quality product, because the regs say it can't be anything else? If so, we are all in big trouble because that includes every jar of 'honey' on supermarket shelves selling for as little as £1 / lb.

The problem here is that Trading Standards are so obsessed with the exact meaning of the words "pure" and "raw" that they have failed to state in the regulations and rules what the word "honey" actually means. So as there is no definition the packers and resellers are at liberty to put whatever inside the jar they can get away with because they are not infringing any regulations.

This is a farce.

So, here for starters….

"Honey" is a high carbohydrate partially-dehydrated substance produced by honey bees (AMM) from nectar secreted by diverse forms of flora".

Anything else is not honey.

So it is not appropriate to label as honey any substance that contains carbohydrates not derived from nectar AND not processed by honey bees.

If trading standards followed this simple guide all the adulterated own label rubbish on the shelves would disappear overnight.

If they want to go on further and put in place additional restrictions about antibiotics etc, that is another matter.

The elephant in the room is that low cost rubbish simply IS NOT HONEY.

 

[Popparand]

Spotted today in Charlie’s at Aberystwyth
Hilltop honey being sold at £2.25/£2.50 for 340g.
Mostly EU and EU/non EU blend with a few jars of Welsh Blossom honey for the same price.
200g cut comb was £3.99
The only honey sold out was labelled RAW thyme honey from Spain.
Not much hope for the rest of us.

Sad to see. Hill Top started so well and with the best intentions.....until they started selling to the supermarkets.

 

[Buzzlodge]

From the Amazon honey ad a few posts above, "A moderate amount of the honeycomb's wax, consumed daily, is extremely beneficial to the stomach and intestines".

Jumping off the RAW thread, Is there proof of the above?

Thats a Health Claim. Not Allowed.

I don't believe any health claims have been approved for honey. This because every comb is different.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Spotted today in Charlie’s at Aberystwyth
Hilltop honey being sold at £2.25/£2.50 for 340g.
Mostly EU and EU/non EU blend with a few jars of Welsh Blossom honey for the same price.
200g cut comb was £3.99
The only honey sold out was labelled RAW thyme honey from Spain.
Not much hope for the rest of us.

How much was the Spanish Raw Thyme honey, Dani?

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much was the Spanish Raw Thyme honey, Dani?

£2.50 for 340g