Selling Honey

[Pete Nicholson]

After a disasterous start to the season I now am harvesting from my two hives and reckon to take around 80 lbs from them in total. Friends and family will account for say 30 lbs so I am left with 50 lbs (not a lot) but how do I stand if I put up a notice outside my house advertising "Local Honey For Sale". I don't want to go to the expense of labels and antitampers etc. but am I at risk of a trading standards inspector calling and me ending up in trouble? I would prepare a leaflet stating the local source and advising "not to be given to infants under 12 months"
Do I need to do anything else?
Many thanks for any help on this regarding legality and advice any forum members can add.
Pete.

 

[oliver90owner]

Labelling is a legal requirement. If you try to circumvent it, and get found out, you will be in deep doo doo.

RAB

 

[sugarbush]

50 lbs would make a nice batch of mead...

 

[MuswellMetro]

This pdf attached is produced by Cornwall county council trading standards and set out the main rules

As you see in the text garden gate sales direct to jo public have more relaxed rules, but better to try to comply with the regulations

i purchased labels over the phone from a beekeeping supplier; they did not comply with the regulations on weight as said G & Ounces inster of g & oz (note lower case is required)

and when i got the second revised batch they still did not comply as no space between 454 and g ( look at labels in main supplier's catalogues and see if you can spot their errors on labels they sell)

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I remember reading on a recent thread that some of the regulations do not apply to farm gate sales. Can't remember the exact details though.

 

[Moggs]

You are legally required to label your honey. Simple. Silly business to try to circumvent the law. Certain exemptions are allowed for 'gate' sales. Google honey labelling regulations.

 

[Pete Nicholson]

selling honey

Thanks everyone for your replies - particularly MM for the cornwall pdf.
Just reinforces the great community that we have in this forum when you can ask a question and get such concise replies - brilliant and I am so glad I joined.
Best regards all
P.

 

[susbees]

The main difference for farm gate is don't need a lot number but seems pretty pointless not to put one on.

And no need to mention the under 12 months baby thing at all.

 

[BBG]

After a disasterous start to the season I now am harvesting from my two hives and reckon to take around 80 lbs from them in total. Friends and family will account for say 30 lbs so I am left with 50 lbs (not a lot) but how do I stand if I put up a notice outside my house advertising "Local Honey For Sale". I don't want to go to the expense of labels and antitampers etc. but am I at risk of a trading standards inspector calling and me ending up in trouble? I would prepare a leaflet stating the local source and advising "not to be given to infants under 12 months"
Do I need to do anything else?
Many thanks for any help on this regarding legality and advice any forum members can add.
Pete.

Stationery shops sell labels 20p for a sheet of 8 plain white labels

Staples - £15 for a pack of 100 sheets with 8 per sheet.

Write on or run through printer or somebody else's - hardly breaks the bank and makes you look more artisan less chancer.

 

[itma]

{cross-posted, but with more info, so left up}

Ummm.

NewB observation.

Its pretty easy to print labels on a computer + printer.
You can get software to make the layout (and spacing/stepping) easy (shareware/freeware even). I believe you can even do it from within M$Word.

About the only thing to watch out for is that the ONLY labels that you should let near a laser printer are those specifically sold as "laser labels" - ordinary labels will gum up the works expensively and instantly. With an inkjet, the only risk is smudges - not so with a laser!

You can find good labels in stationers shops, or cheaper on that well-known auction website, and usually even cheaper in Lidl and Aldi (in season). "Avery" is probably the brand leader, and most label programs will have ready-made spacing templates for lots of Avery part numbers (tip: don't buy non-Avery unless they are marketed as equivalent to a specified Avery product!)

One typical product purely as an illustrative example (not used or recommended by me) 100 sheets x18 labels (1800 labels...) for £6.99 + vat + delivery.
http://www.labels-direct.co.uk/18-up-label-sheets-round-corners
I'm sure you can find cheaper!

If you get a pack of credit-card-sized labels, and get your head around how to use them, you'll find them useful for all sorts of things.
"Peel clean" labels are much easier to remove (thus better for temporary use), but more expensive - and not needed for sales.

But basically, it should be easy (and cheap) to meet these statutory requirements, especially if you aren't bothered about producing an artistic masterpiece that is aimed at converting browsers to buyers ...

On my antique Mac, I've used "PearLabelizer" software (free, basic, easy).
http://www.pearworks.com/pages/software.html
But I don't (yet) have any honey to label ... !

 

[Moggs]

Hi itma - thanks for the post. I endorse your comments about use of labels - especially the reference to 'smudge-free' laser labels. Standard inkjet printers and labels are unlikely to produce an enduring label that remains readable throughout the anticipated shelf life of honey. Try dribbling a few drops of water across the face of such a labelled jar to see what I mean.

No, I don't have any vested interest in label printing companies

 

[itma]

... I endorse your comments about use of labels - especially the reference to 'smudge-free' laser labels. Standard inkjet printers and labels are unlikely to produce an enduring label that remains readable throughout the anticipated shelf life of honey. ...

Two rather different things are being confused!

Inkjets. Yes, many (but not all) inkjets use water-soluble inks, which will smudge and smear when wet. And many (but not all) inkjet prints will also fade after a few weeks/months in the sun. (But they might, nevertheless, meet your statutory obligations!)
And (the incidental point I was making) if you use non "inkjet-grade" labels, the worst that would happen would be that the ink wouldn't dry properly, maybe even running on the surface.
Using the wrong labels will not damage your inkjet printer.

However - the really important point I was making - if you use non "laser labels" in your laser printer, you will expensively damage the printer.
In a laser printer ONLY use "laser labels". Their special glue keeps them on the backing sheet even when going through the laser's (hot) fuser rollers. You really don't want labels wrapped around the hot roller ...

And yes, laser-printed labels should be much more resistant to dampness, ultra-violet, etc.

Don't mess up your laser by using ANY label that you are not CERTAIN is a "laser label". Even the first one will wreck your printer!
In a previous life, I replaced more than a few fuser assemblies for people who made this mistake ...

 

[Moggs]

Thanks for the clarification. OK, I'll re-state my point - the important text on labels must be legible at all times throughout the time that the product is in the container. Consult with itma for the best way to achieve this from a technical perspective!