Whether you are a large honey packer or you sell honey at your local markets, honey labelling laws apply to you. Honey sold at fund-raising events or given as gifts are exempt. (see Food Standards Code 1.2.1 – 6 for exemptions)
The Food Standards Code has determined that the following information must appear on a label
An example of a nutrition information panel produced using the online tool.
Source: foodstandards.gov.au/industry/npc
- Name and/or description of the food – ‘Honey’
- Identification of the lot number for recall purposes – typically the harvest, extraction or packing date
- Business name and street address
- List of ingredients e.g. ‘100% Australian Honey’
- Nutrition information panel
- Country of origin – kangaroo logo, bar chart and text (packages with surface area less than 100cm2 may omit the kangaroo and bar chart)
- Weight
An example of a country of origin label produced using the online tool.
Source: originlabeltool.business.gov.au
The kangaroo logo, bar chart and text label can be produced using an online tool. Nutrition information panel labels can be produced using the Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) online tool. Alternatively, these two stickers can be bought from beekeeping suppliers.
Penalties for non-compliance can be $220,000 for individuals and $1.1 million for businesses, so it’s definitely worth getting it right!
And finally, just a gentle reminder that if you are selling more than 1,500kg of honey per year you should be paying the honey levy.
Video
Nadine Chapman runs through a couple of honey labelling examples.
Additional resources:
- PDF: Honey Labels: the basic rules, ABA
- In Australia, it is normal to indicate the net weight of the honey in the package rather than volume.The weights should be expressed in kilograms (kg) or grams (g) Weights and measures declarations are regulated in Australia by the Australian National Measurement Institute.