[Pollinator] Fwd: CATCH THE BUZZ - Honey Standards In India

Ladadams at aol.com Ladadams at aol.com
Thu Oct 7 07:40:02 PDT 2010


Interesting recap of honey regs.
 
 
  
____________________________________
 From: Kim at BeeCulture.com
To: LDA at pollinator.org
Sent: 10/7/2010 5:46:48  A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: CATCH THE BUZZ - Honey Standards In  India


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CATCH THE  BUZZ       
India Issues  Standards For Honey  
Recently some reports  have been appeared in the newspapers regarding the 
permitted levels of  antibiotics in honey. The following advisory is issued 
by Food Safety and  Standards Authority to clarify the issues involved.  
Honey is the natural  sweet substance produced by honey bees from the 
nectar of blossoms or from  secretions of plants.  
When visually  inspected, the honey shall be free from any foreign matter 
such as mould,  dirt, scum, pieces of beeswax, the fragments of bees and 
other insects and  from any other extraneous matter.  
The colour of honey  varies from light to dark brown.  
Standards for honey have been prescribed under Prevention Food Adulteration 
 (PFA) Rules, 1955 as under.  
(a) Specific gravity  at 27OC          Not  less than 1.35  
(b)  Moisture                                                   Not more 
than 25 per cent by mass  
(c) Total reducing  sugars                               Not less than 65 
per cent by mass  
(c-i) for Carbia  colossa and Honey dew      Not less than 60 per cent  by 
mass  
(d)  Sucrose                                                     Not more 
than to 5.0 per cent by mass  
(d-i) for Carbia  colossa and Honey dew      Not more than 10 per cent  by 
mass  
(e) Fructose-glucose  ratio         Not  less than 0.95  
(f)  Ash                                                           Not more 
than 0.5 percent by mass  
(g) Acidity  (Expressed as formic acid)        Not more  than 0.2 per cent 
by mass  
(h) Fiehe's  test                      Negative   
(i) Hydroxy methyl furfural(HMF),  Not more than 80  
mg/kg                                           
If Fiehe's test is  positive, and hydroxy methyl furfural (HMF) content is 
more than 80  milligram/kilogram, then fructose: glucose ratio should be 1.0 
or more.  
Rule 44 D provides  for restriction on sale of Carbia Callosa and Honey 
dew. Carbia Collosa and  Honey dew shall be sold only in sealed containers 
bearing AGMARK seal.  
Rule 45 specifies  that food resembling but not pure honey cannot be marked 
as honey. No person  shall use the word „Honey‟ or any word, mark, 
illustration or  device that suggests “Honey‟ on the label or any package of, or 
in  any advertisement for, any food that resembles honey but is not pure 
honey.  
Violation of the  provisions of PFA Act/Rules attracts penal action.  
No pesticide residues or antibiotics are allowed in honey.  
The maximum limits of heavy metals in various foods are prescribed under 
PFA  Rules, 1955. Rule 57 of PFA Rules prescribes the limits of contaminants 
under  category “Foods not specified” (which includes honey) as follows:-  
1.  Lead                         Not more than 2.5 ppm  
2.  Copper                     Not more than 30.0 ppm  
3.  Arsenic                     Not more than 1.1 ppm  
4.  Tin                            Not more than 250.0 ppm  
5.  Zinc                          Not more than 50.0 ppm  
6.  Cadmium                Not more than 1.5 ppm  
7.  Mercury                 Not more than 1.0 ppm  
8. Methyl  Mercury    Not more than 0.25 ppm  
Standards of Honey  under AGMARK  
The Department of  Agriculture and Cooperation has laid down standards of 
honey under the Grading  and Marking Rules (AGMARK), which lays down the 
grades, designation of honey  as Special, Grade–A and Standard to indicate the 
quality of honey for the  purpose of certification. It specifies the method 
of packing, marking and  labeling and conditions for grant of certificate for 
authorization. The  standards of AGMARK are voluntary.  
In the matter of  admissibility of antibiotics in honey, safety standards 
in India are similar  to those in European Union, Codex Alimentarius and USA 
where they are  completely prohibited.  
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