EU honey directive

Definition

Sets the legal definition of honey in the EU, composition criteria including a 20 per cent moisture maximum and a 40 mg/kg HMF limit for most honey, the electrical conductivity threshold separating honeydew from nectar honey, and the requirement to declare countries of origin.

Honey records that discuss this

• Greek fir honeyMildly sweet, resinous and faintly caramelised, with a soft woody character and none of the sharpness of the darker honeydews — considerably gentler than its colour suggests.

Guide records that discuss this

• European honey standardsThe EU honey directive turns the Codex definition into binding law across the single market, adds labelling rules, and contains the two provisions that make European honey regulation distinctive: what filtered honey is, and that pollen is part of honey.