The European Parliament adopted an amendment to the honey directive and three other directives. Together, according to Jana Toom, Member of the European Parliament, they form the so-called breakfast directive, which regulates the composition, names, labeling and presentation of foods traditionally consumed for breakfast in the European Union.
“The European Parliament intends to oblige honey producers to clearly indicate on the front of the package where the different parts of the honey come from. The change is important especially for honey – according to 2023 data, up to 46 percent of the volume of honey imported by the European Union may be of very low quality. The European Parliament has adopted several measures to help consumers make an informed choice,” said Jana Toom.
The representative from the Center Party said that the most important requirement is to indicate the country of origin of the honey on the front of the package, and this principle is also supported by the Estonian Professional Beekeepers Association. “If the honey is harvested in only one country, the name of that country is marked on the front of the package near the product brand. If the product consists of honey harvested in several countries, the list of countries of origin must be indicated on the front of the package in descending order with approximate percentages. Changes to the directive are currently being discussed with the European Council, but I am sure they will agree with us,” Jana Toom noted.
If the changes to the directive are finally approved, according to Jana Toomi, it will help Estonian beekeepers to better market their products known for their high quality. “Unfortunately, honey of dubious value is also sold in Estonia, the origin of which is not clearly identifiable and which has a negative effect on the reputation of local producers. According to the new requirements, you can find out on the front of the package if the honey was produced in, for example, Romania, Argentina and Mexico, which in turn means that the product has little to do with traditional honey,” emphasized Jana Toom.
“The European Parliament obliges the honey producer to indicate the fact of such a commercial “cocktail” on the front label in ordinary letters, not in block letters on the back. It is important to give consumers the confidence to understand exactly what we are buying and eating. Beekeepers know that it is not good to mix honey even from different hives, let alone honey from different bees, countries and continents. The result is not honey, but a honey-like product of dubious value. Be careful!” added Jana Toom.
