Honey consists essentially of different sugars, predominantly fructose and glucose as well as other substances such as organic acids, enzymes and solid particles derived from honey collection. The colour of honey varies from nearly colourless to dark brown. The consistency can be fluid, viscous or partly to entirely crystallised. The flavour and aroma vary, but are derived from the plant origin.
When placed on the market as honey or used in any product intended for human consumption, honey shall not have added to it any food ingredient, including food additives, nor shall any other additions be made other than honey. Honey must, as far as possible, be free from organic or inorganic matters foreign to its composition. With the exception of point 3 of Annex I, it must not have any foreign tastes or odours, have begun to ferment, have an artificially changed acidity or have been heated in such a way that the natural enzymes have been either destroyed or significantly inactivated.
[F1Without prejudice to point 2(b)(viii) of Annex I, neither pollen nor any other constituent particular to honey, may be removed except where this is unavoidable in the removal of foreign inorganic or organic matter.]
Textual Amendments
When placed on the market as honey or used in any product intended for human consumption, honey must meet the following composition criteria:
Sugar content
Fructose 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 |
Sucrose 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 |
Moisture content
| —in general | not more than 20 % |
| —heather (Calluna) an baker's honey in general | not more than 23 % |
| —baker's honey from heather (Calluna) | not more than 25 % |
Water-insoluble content
| —in general | not more than 0,1 g/100 g |
| —pressed honey | not more than 0,5 g/100 g |
Electrical conductivity
| —honey not listed below, and blends of these honeys | not more than 0,8 mS/cm |
| [X1—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.) |
Free acid
| —in general | not more than 50 milli-equivalents acid per 1 000 grammes |
| —baker's honey | not more than 80 milli-equivalents acid per 1 000 grammes |
Diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural content (HMF) determined after processing and blending
Diastase activity (Schade scale)
| —in general, except baker's honey | not less than 8 |
| —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 |
HMF
| —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 |