The Honey (Wales) Regulations 2003

Made: 26th November 2003

Coming into force: 28th November 2003

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Title, commencement and application

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Interpretation

2

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reserved descriptions

3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Labelling and description of specified honey products

4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sale of filtered honey or baker’s honey in bulk containers or packs

5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Manner of marking or labelling

6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Penalties and enforcement

7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Defence in relation to exports

8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Application of various provisions of the Act

9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Amendment and revocations

10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Transitional provisions

11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SCHEDULE 1 — SPECIFIED HONEY PRODUCTS AND THEIR RESERVED DESCRIPTIONS

1a.

blossom honey or }

1b.

nectar honey }

2

honeydew honey

3

comb honey

4a.

chunk honey or }

4b.

cut comb in honey }

5

drained honey

6

extracted honey

7

pressed honey

8

filtered honey

9

baker’s honey

SCHEDULE 2 — SPECIFICATIONS FOR SPECIFIED HONEY PRODUCTS

1

Sugar content

1.1

Fructose and glucose content (sum of both)

1.2

Sucrose content

2

Moisture content

3

Water-insoluble content

5

Free acid

6

Diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content determined after processing and blending

Signed

Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998

D. Elis-Thomas — The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly — 2003-11-26

Explanatory note

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1990 c. 16.

[^f00002]: Functions of the Secretary of State under the Food Safety Act 1990, so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672).

[^f00003]: OJ No. L31, 1.2.2002, p.1.

[^f00004]: OJ No. L10, 12.1.2002, p.47, as adopted by EEA Joint Committee Decision 99/2002.

[^f00005]: OJ No. L1, 3.1.94, p.1.

[^f00006]: OJ No. L1, 3.1.94, p.571.

[^f00007]: S.I. 1996/1499; the relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1998/1398.

[^f00008]: S.I. 1976/1832 as amended by S.I. 1990/2486, S.I. 1991/1476, S.I. 1992/2596 and S.I. 1996/1499.

[^f00009]: S.I. 1982/1727.

[^f00010]: S.I. 1985/67.

[^f00011]: S.I. 1990/2486.

[^f00012]: S.I. 1991/1476.

[^f00013]: S.I. 1992/2596.

[^f00014]: S.I. 1995/3187.

[^f00015]: S.I. 1996/1499.

[^f00016]: 1998 c. 38.

Column 1	Column 2
Reserved descriptions	Specified honey product
1ablossom honey or }1bnectar honey }	honey obtained from the nectar of plants
2honeydew honey	honey obtained mainly from excretions of plant sucking insects (Hemiptera) on the living part of plants or secretions of living parts of plants
3comb honey	honey stored by bees in the cells of freshly built broodless combs or thin comb foundation sheets made solely of beeswax and sold in sealed whole combs or sections of such combs
4achunk honey or }4bcut comb in honey }	honey which contains one or more pieces of comb honey
5drained honey	honey obtained by draining de capped broodless combs
6extracted honey	honey obtained by centrifuging de-capped broodless combs
7pressed honey	honey obtained by pressing broodless combs with or without the application of moderate heat not exceeding 45°C
8filtered honey	honey obtained by removing foreign inorganic or organic matters in such a way as to result in the significant removal of pollen
9baker’s honey	honey which is —suitable for industrial uses or as an ingredient in other foodstuffs which are then processed; andmay —have a foreign taste or odour,have begun to ferment or have fermented, orhave been overheated

Note 1: The description “honey” may be used for specified honey products specified in column 2 of items 1a, 1b, 2, 5 and 6 of Schedule 1.

Note 2: Where the specified honey product specified in column 2 of item 9 is used as an ingredient in a compound foodstuff, the reserved description “honey” may be used in the product name of that compound foodstuff.

Note 3: Except in the case of products specified in column 2 of items 8 and 9 a specified honey product may additionally be described by —

• (i) its floral or vegetable origin, if the product comes wholly or mainly from the indicated source and possesses the organoleptic, physico-chemical and microscopic characteristics of the source;

• (ii) its regional, territorial or topographical origin, if the product comes entirely from the indicated source; and

• (iii) its specific quality criteria.

1Sugar content
1Fructose and glucose content (sum of both)
— blossom honey	not less than 60 g/100 g
— honeydew honey, blends of honeydew honey with blossom honey	not less than 45 g/100 g
1Sucrose content
— in general	not more than 5 g/100 g
— false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Menzies Banksia (Banksia menziesii), French honeysuckle (Hedysarum), red gum (Eucalyptus camadulensis), leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida, Eucryphia milliganii), Citrus spp.	not more than 10 g/100 g
— lavender (Lavandula spp.), borage (Borago officinalis)	not more than 15 g/100 g
2Moisture content
— in general	not more than 20%
— heather (Calluna) and baker’s honey in general	not more than 23%
— baker’s honey from heather (Calluna)	not more than 25%
3Water-insoluble content
— in general	not more than 0.1 g/100g
— pressed honey	not more than 0.5 g/100 g
4.Electrical conductivity
— honey not listed below and blends of these honeys	not less than 0.8 mS/cm
— honeydew and chestnut honey and blends of these except with those listed below	not less than 0.8 mS/cm
— exceptions: strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), bell heather (Erica), eucalyptus, lime (Tilia spp.), ling heather (Calluna vulgaris), manuka or jelly bush (Leptospermum), tea tree (Melaleuca spp.)
5Free acid
— in general	not more than 50 milli-equivalents acid per 1000 grammes
— baker’s honey	not more than 80 milli-equivalents acid per 1000 grammes
6Diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content determined after processing and blending
aDiastase activity (Schade scale)	not less than 8
— in general, except baker’s honey
— honeys with low natural enzyme content (e.g. citrus honeys) and an HMF content of not more than 15 mg/kg	not less than 3
bHMF
— in general, except baker’s honey	not more than 40 mg/kg (subject to the provisions of (a), second indent)
— honeys of declared origin from regions with tropical climate and blends of these honeys	not more than 80 mg/kg

Note 1: When placed on the market as honey or used in any product intended for human consumption, honey must not:

• (a) except in the case of baker’s honey, have any foreign tastes or odours, have begun to ferment or have fermented, or have been heated in such a way that the natural enzymes have been either destroyed or significantly inactivated.

• (b) have an artificially changed acidity.

Note 2: No pollen or constituent particular to honey may be removed except where this is unavoidable in the removal of foreign inorganic or organic matter.

Editorial notes

[^key-f499010ec0edcd26caa6fbcbfdea0eaa]: Regulations revoked (3.8.2015) by The Honey (Wales) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1507), regs. 1(2), 20(1)(a)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .