Honey Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Regulation 2(2)

SCHEDULE 2 SPECIFICATIONS FOR SPECIFIED HONEY PRODUCTS

Note 1: When placed on the market as honey or used in any product intended for human consumption, honey must not: (c) except in the case of baker’s honey, have any foreign tastes or odours, have begun to ferment or have fermented, or have been heated in such a way that the natural enzymes have been either destroyed or significantly inactivated. (d) have an artificially changed acidity. Note 2: No pollen or constituent particular to honey may be removed except where this is unavoidable in the removal of foreign inorganic or organic matter.
1.  Sugar content
1—(1) Fructose and glucose content (sum of both)
–blossom honey	not less than 60 g/100 g
–honeydew honey, blends of honeydew honey with blossom honey	not less than 45 g/100 g
1—(2) Sucrose content
–in general	not more than 5 g/100 g
–false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), Menzies Banksia (Banksia menziesii), French honeysuckle (Hedysarum), red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), leatherwood (Eucryphia lucida, Eucryphia milliganii), Citrus spp.	not more than 10 g/100 g
–lavender (Lavandula spp.), borage (Borago officinalis)	not more than 15 g/100 g
2.  Moisture content
–in general	not more than 20%
–heather (Calluna) and baker’s honey in general	not more than 23%
–baker’s honey from heather (Calluna)	not more than 25%
3.  Water-insoluble content
–in general	not more than 0.1 g/100 g
–pressed honey	not more than 0.5 g/100 g
4.  Electrical conductivity
–honey not listed below and blends of these honeys	not more than 0.8 mS/cm
–honeydew and chestnut honey and blends of these except with those listed below	not more than 0.8 mS/cm
–exceptions: strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), bell heather (Erica), eucalyptus, lime (Tilia spp.), ling heather (Calluna vulgaris), manuka or jelly bush (Leptospermum), tea tree (Melaleuca spp.)
5.  Free acid
–in general	not more than 50 milli-equivalents acid per 1000 grammes
–baker’s honey	not more than 80 milli-equivalents acid per 1000 grammes
6.  Diastase activity and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content determined after processing and blending
(a) Diastase activity (Schade scale)
–in general, except baker’s honey	not less than 8
–honeys with low natural enzyme content (e.g. citrus honeys) and an HMF content of not more than 15 mg/kg	not less than 3
(b) HMF
–in general, except baker’s honey	not more than 40 mg/kg (subject to the provisions of (a), second indent)
–honeys of declared origin from regions with tropical climate and blends of these honeys	not more than 80 mg/kg