Council Directive 2001/110/ECShow full title

ANNEX I U.K. NAMES, PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS

1. Honey is the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature. U.K.

2. The main types of honey are as follows: U.K.

(a)

according to origin:

(i)

blossom honey or nectar honey

Honey obtained from the nectar of plants;

(ii)

honeydew honey

Honey obtained mainly from excretions of plant sucking insects (Hemiptera) on the living part of plants or secretions of living parts of plants;

(b)

according to mode of production and/or presentation:

(iii)

comb 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;

(iv)

chunk honey or cut comb in honey

Honey which contains one or more pieces of comb honey;

(v)

drained honey

Honey obtained by draining decapped broodless combs;

(vi)

extracted honey

Honey obtained by centrifuging decapped broodless combs;

(vii)

pressed honey

Honey obtained by pressing broodless combs with or without the application of moderate heat not exceeding 45 °C;

(viii)

filtered honey

Honey obtained by removing foreign inorganic or organic matter in such a way as to result in the significant removal of pollen.

3. Baker's honey U.K.

Honey which is (a) suitable for industrial uses or as an ingredient in other foodstuffs which are then processed and (b) may:

• have a foreign taste or odour, or

• have begun to ferment or have fermented, or

• have been overheated.

ANNEX II U.K. COMPOSITION CRITERIA FOR HONEY

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.

[F1 Without 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

F1 Substituted by Directive 2014/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 amending Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey.

When placed on the market as honey or used in any product intended for human consumption, honey must meet the following composition criteria:

1.

Sugar content

1.1.

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

1.2.

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

2.

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 %

3.

Water-insoluble content

—in general	not more than 0,1 g/100 g
—pressed honey	not more than 0,5 g/100 g

4.

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.)

5.

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

6.

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

(a)

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

(b)

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

Editorial Information

X1 Substituted by Corrigendum to Council Directive 2001/110/EC of 20 December 2001 relating to honey (Official Journal of the European Communities L 10 of 12 January 2002).