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Honey

Here you can find the legislation.

Amendment to the Breakfast Directives 

Directive (EU) 2024/1438 amends four of the seven Directives, known collectively as the ‘Breakfast Directives’ relating to honey, fruit juices, jams, jellies and marmalades and preserved dehydrated milk products.  The updated directives aim to promote a shift to healthier diets, help consumers make informed choices, and ensure transparency regarding the origin of products.

Summary of amendments within EU Directive 2024/1438 relating to Honey 

Under current requirements, food businesses are required to list blends of honey as either ‘blend of EC honeys,’ ‘blend of non-EC honeys,’ ‘blend of EC and non-EC honeys.’ Directive 2024/1438 amends labelling provisions of honey blends, requiring that all countries of origin must be indicated on the label in the principal field of vision and listed in descending order of weight, including their representing percentage of weight in the total product. A tolerance of 5% for each share is permitted. 

Directive 2024/1438 permits the names of the countries of origin to be replaced with ISO alpha-2 country codes for <30g honey portions and omits ‘filtered honey’ from the list of permitted definitions. In addition, before June 2029, following feasibility studies, the European Commission will publish delegated acts determining methods of analysis and criteria for a traceability system.
 

EU legislation

Council Directive 2001/110/EC (OJ L 10, p47, 12.01.2002) of 20 December 2001 relating to honey

Corrected by

Amended by

  • Directive (EU) 2024/1438 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 amending Council Directives 2001/110/EC relating to honey, 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption, 2001/113/EC relating to fruit jams, jellies and marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée intended for human consumption, and 2001/114/EC relating to certain partly or wholly dehydrated preserved milk for human consumption.
  • Directive 2014/63/EU (OJ L 164, p1, 03.06.2014) of 15 May 2014

Consolidated version of Directive 2001/110/EC as at 23 June 2014

National legislation

  • Directive (EU) 2024/1438 requires transposition into Irish law. Ireland along with other Member States are required to adopt and publish the national legislation by 14 December 2025. Food businesses have a transitional period up to 14 June 2026 to comply.
  • European Communities (Marketing of Honey) Regulations, 2003 (S.I. No. 367 of 2003)
  • European Communities (Marketing of Honey) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 261 of 2015)

Directive 2001/110/EC prescribes standards for the composition and labelling of honey and sets out compositional criteria in respect to sugar content, fructose and glucose content, moisture content, water-insoluble content, electrical conductivity and free acid. Also included are minimum levels of diastase (an enzyme capable of breaking down starch; an amylase) activity and a maximum level of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content.

The country or countries of origin where the honey has been harvested must be indicated on the label. If the honey originates in more than one Member State or third country (i.e., a country outside the EU), then the indication may be replaced by one of the following as appropriate:

  • 'blend of EU honeys'
  • 'blend of non-EU honeys'
  • 'blend of EU and non-EU honeys'

Note: 

Honey produced or labelled before 24 June 2015 in accordance with Directive 2001/110/EC may continue to be marketed until the exhaustion of stocks. 

Honey manufactured before 1st August 2004, may be placed on the market in accordance with the previous legislation (The Food Standards (Honey) (European Communities) Regulations 1976 (S.I. No. 155 of 1976), now revoked, until stocks are exhausted.