Regulation 2 Definition of “honey” and different types of honey
In these Regulations “honey” means the natural sweet substance produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature.
In these Regulations—
F1“baker’s honey” means honey which is suitable for industrial uses or as an ingredient in other foodstuffs which is then processed and may—
- (a)
have a foreign taste or odour;
- (b)
have begun to ferment or have fermented;
- (c)
have been overheated; or
- (d)
have been obtained by removing foreign inorganic or organic matter in such a way as to result in the significant removal of pollen.
- (a)
“blossom honey” and “nectar honey” mean honeys obtained from the nectar of plants;
“chunk honey” and “cut comb in honey” mean honeys which contain one or more pieces of comb honey;
“comb honey” means honey stored by bees in the cells of freshly built broodless combs or thin comb foundation sheets made solely of beeswax and sold in sealed whole combs or sections of such combs;
“drained honey” means honey obtained by draining de-capped broodless combs;
“extracted honey” means honey obtained by centrifuging de-capped broodless combs;
F2...
“honeydew honey” means honey obtained mainly from excretions of plant sucking insects (Hemiptera) on the living part of plants or secretions of living parts of plants;
“pressed honey” means honey obtained by pressing broodless combs with or without the application of moderate heat not exceeding 45° Celsius.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
Words in reg. 2(2) substituted (14.6.2026) by The Breakfast Foods (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 (S.R. 2026/5), regs. 1, 3(2)(a) (with reg. 7(1))
- F2
Words in reg. 2(2) omitted (14.6.2026) by virtue of The Breakfast Foods (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 (S.R. 2026/5), regs. 1, 3(2)(b) (with reg. 7(1))