New Honey Labeling Requirements Take Effect; Estonian Beekeepers Hope for Fairer Competition
Starting Sunday, new EU honey labeling rules come into force, requiring detailed origin breakdowns for blends. Estonian beekeepers believe these changes will foster fairer competition and help combat fraud.
From this Sunday, new European Union requirements for honey labeling take effect, which Estonian beekeepers hope will lead to fairer competition in the market. The most significant change concerns honey blends: previously, labels only needed to state, for example, that the product was a blend of honeys from the EU or non-EU countries. Now, all countries of origin must be listed along with their percentage share, in descending order, on the main field of vision.
Evelin Kivima, chief specialist for food safety at the Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, explained that the old labels can no longer be used. For honey blends, every country of origin and its percentage must appear on the label. For instance: Estonia 50%, Latvia 20%, Lithuania 20%, and Poland 10% — in descending order by proportion.
Mario Kalvet, chairman of the board of the Association of Professional Beekeepers, noted that Estonian beekeepers will not see major changes because they already label their jars with the specific origin, such as Estonia, Võrumaa, or Saaremaa. The bigger impact will be on those who package honey or blend honey from different countries.
Estonian beekeepers hope the new labeling rules will lead to more effective oversight. Kalvet warned about fraud where honey is adulterated with laboratory-made syrups, producing a mixture that looks and smells like real honey. He expressed hope that the new rules will give regulators new tools to monitor the market, making the entire supply chain traceable from beekeeper to jar.
In addition to mixing honey with syrup, some producers commit origin fraud by selling imported honey as domestic. This practice is common in countries that import large quantities of honey. Kalvet added that Estonian beekeepers produce enough honey to meet domestic demand and even export. Harvests vary year to year — last year's production was somewhat lower, but strong inventories covered Estonia's honey needs.
The new labeling requirements take effect on Sunday, but products labeled under the previous rules may continue to be sold until stocks are depleted.
