TIPS FOR PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY NATURAL AND ORGANIC HONEY

Producing  a differentiated product can aid the marketing and enhance profitability of the particular product. This article looks at how producing honey labelled as Natural or organic can boost sales and substantially increase profitability.

Most of the honey produced in this country qualifies to be labelled as Natural Honey. By definition, natural honey is honey whose all ingredients are natural products and which has been minimally processed. Minimal processing in this case is defined as processing in a way that does not fundamentally alter the product. Excessive heating or pasteurisation and filtering below 200 microns is prohibited. Non natural products refer to artificial Ingredients or synthetic additives including colouring, flavours and preservatives.

Organic honey, on the other hand, can be defined as honey which is produced, processed and packaged in accordance with specific organic standards and guidelines and certified as such. Standards vary worldwide, however, the general requirement is the production in an environment free from, or with restricted use of synthetic substances such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics, and processing excludes the use of industrial solvents, irradiation or genetic engineered processes.

Although obtaining Organic certification is not an easy undertaking due to the costs involved and the rather complex process, it offers a number of benefits to the beekeeper who succeeds in obtaining such certification. Besides the aspect of   increased prices and marketability of organic labelled honey resulting from the quality assurance to buyers, other benefits include the positive impact on public health and environmental sustainability. Restricted use of antibiotics in treating honeybee diseases minimises risks of bacterial resistance to antibiotics while non-use of synthetic chemicals minimises harm to the environment thus enhancing sustainability.

In order to produce a compliant product and obtain certification for organic honey, the following general standards must be met:

1.       Apiary Location And Forage Area

Apiaries should be sited 3 – 5 km away from non-organic plant sources. This means hives should    be in a centre of minimally 16square miles or 25 square kilometres radius of organic plants. This area should not include non-organic farms, residential  neighbourhoods, industrial areas, major highways, golf courses, sludge or sewage and waste water treatment plants and genetically modified crops.  This requirement alone makes the production of organic honey impossible for most producers in industrialised countries, thereby presenting opportunities to producers in third      world countries like Zambia where many places can meet this requirement.

2.       Hive type

Hives should bemade of natural material such as wood, metal or clay. All parts and supporting structures of the hive must be made of untreated materials. Plastic can be used provided it is covered with organic beeswax.

3.       Origin of honeybees and queens

Bees can come from organic or non-organic apiaries. Queen can be replaced whenever required. Queen wing clipping is forbidden.

4.       Feed for Organic Honeybees

Artificial feeding is accepted only when it is difficult to provide access to organic foraging to bees. When non-organic feed is used, the apiary should be removed from organic honey production.

5.       Disease and Pest Control

Chemical and antibiotic treatment is prohibited. Emphasis is placed on preventative methods of control. Some milder miticide treatments- those considered natural- are accepted. Examples include acetic or oxalic acid, formic acid, caustic soda and sulphur etheric oils.

6.       Honey processing

Surfaces that come in contact with honey in processing should be of food grade material or should be coated with beeswax. Overheating and over filtering is not allowed

7.       Labelling

Signage denoting certified organic status, certifying authority, certificate number together with other honey labelling requirements should be provided on label. Honey in an organic labelled jar should be traceable to the apiary it was produced from.

8.       Record keeping and transitional period

Transitional period for shifting from conventional honey production to organic is 12 months. Non organic wax should be replaced with organic wax during this period. Apiary should have records of being organic for one year.

9.       Export shipments

A sample from each consignment shall be held for the duration of the “Best-Before” period.

In conclusion, it should be pointed out that obtaining organic certification is not an impossibility.

This information is brought to you in the community service of Al – Apis Concepts Ltd.

For your questions and clarifications from this feature, contact the author on 0967 419551/0954 665 257. Email: apisconcepts@gmail.com. For all your beekeeping requirements contact Al-Apis Concepts Ltd. Phone: +260 966474757

‍