The Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2015

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which apply in Scotland, implement Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey (OJ No L 10, 12.1.2002, p.47) as amended by European Parliament and Council Directive 2014/631/EU relating to honey (OJ No L 164, 3.6.2014, p.1). They revoke and replace the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2003 (S.S.I. 2003/569) as amended by the Honey (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005 (S.S.I. 2005/307).

The Regulations regulate the labelling of honey, and the use of the names “honey” (regulation 5), “baker's honey” (regulation 6), “blossom honey” and “nectar honey” (regulation 7), “chunk honey” and “cut comb in honey” (regulation 8), “comb honey” (regulation 9) “drained honey” (regulation 10), “extracted honey” (regulation 11), “filtered honey” (regulation 12), “honeydew honey” (regulation 13) and “pressed honey” (regulation 14).

Regulation 15 and the Schedule prescribe compositional criteria with which these products must comply when placed on the market as honey and when used as honey as an ingredient in a compound foodstuff that is placed on the market and intended for human consumption.

Regulation 16 prescribes additional labelling requirements for the honey products regulated by these Regulations.

Regulation 17 imposes an obligation on food authorities to enforce the Regulations.

As well as revoking the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2003, regulation 19 revokes the Honey (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2005 and specified provisions of the Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (S.S.I. 2014/312) relating to the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2003.

Regulation 21 makes a transitional provision in respect of food placed on the market or labelled before 24th June 2015, providing a defence in legal proceedings in relation to such food if it would have been compliant with the Honey (Scotland) Regulations 2003, as amended.

A full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business, the voluntary sector and the public sector has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies may be obtained from Food Standards Scotland, Pilgrim House, Old Ford Road, Aberdeen, AB11 5RL.