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The indications of origin on honey jars are sometimes so general that consumer advocates joke that “Origin: Planet Earth” could be written on them. The Honey Association fights back: It doesn’t matter where exactly the bee hums.
Many people pay close attention to where the food they buy from the supermarket comes from. Information like “Milk from the Allgäu” or “Apples from the Old Country” make it easy for customers. But sometimes the product simply says “Mix of EU and non-EU countries”, that is, on many jars of honey.
That says nothing more than “Origin: Planet Earth,” complains the consumer organization Foodwatch. “Such a label could be interesting to aliens.” Beekeepers also demand clearer indications of origin. And Federal Food Minister Julia Klöckner supports a push for stricter EU rules.
“Who comes up with those regulations?”
“The current labeling of honey can hardly be beat in terms of absurdity,” says a Foodwatch spokesperson. “Who comes up with those regulations?” Food manufacturers should be required to indicate at least the countries of origin of the main ingredients of their products.
The German Beekeeping Association is also pressing him: “This means that the respective percentage of the product must be indicated in addition to each country of origin,” says a spokeswoman. For consumers, the general designations on the label only indicate that they are foreign products.
EU directive leaves plenty of room for maneuver
In principle, the country of origin must be specified, as stipulated in an EU directive. However, if the content of the honey jar comes from several countries, it can also be general information for the whole mixture: from the 27 EU countries, from “non-EU countries” around the world or a “mixture of honey EU countries and non-EU countries “. This can be found on many labels, mostly in fine print, from “creamy golden country honey” to “beekeeper spreadable honey.” Information like honey “from Europe and South America” or impressions like “Bulgaria, Austria” are at least somewhat more specific.
Another reason is that the domestic generation does not meet the demand. Most of the honey is imported to Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Office in 2019, the largest amounts came from Mexico, Ukraine and Argentina, from EU partners in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.
“The origin of honey is always the bee”
Depending on the industry, mixing different honeys from around the world guarantees “consistent high quality”, even with the usual flavor. The region makes no difference. “Because the origin of honey is always the bee”, argues the association of importers and bottlers of honey. A precise indication of the country of origin would be “irritating” for customers. That would indicate quality differences that do not exist.
However, there is a movement in the EU to toughen the guidelines. A push from 16 Member States at the beginning of the year aims to make it mandatory to indicate the respective country of origin for honey blends. This is also a cause for concern for Germany, according to the Federal Ministry of Food. The designation of individual countries takes into account the increased need for consumer information. Discussions will advance in the German Presidency of the Council of the EU.
