APIS Volume 5, Number 9, September, 1987
In this issue
- National Honey Board News
- Honey Quality and Labelling Regulations
- Making Information Available on the Label
NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL HONEY BOARD
The National Honey Board will also be doing some heavy promotion this season and has commissioned studies on consumer attitudes and uses of honey. Several press releases from the Board have recently come to my attention.
(1) Honey and Bisquick®--these old partners will be shown in a new relationship with full page, color advertisements in the November and December issues of consumer magazines including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Reader's Digest and Woman's Day. The campaign will reach over 50% of adults 35 years and older, a total of 122.9 million people! Honey-raisin biscuits and honey butter were featured on Bisquick® boxes from April to September and honey recipes were published on 25.4 million packages. Finally, the Board will place a honey recipe card insert into 4 million packages of Bisquick® in January and February.
(2) A recently conducted consumer market research study sponsored by the National Honey Board revealed over 55% of honey users indicated there was no substitute for honey. The study showed the average U.S. honey user tends to be older, middle income and living in a smaller household. Children between 6 and 17 years old tend to present to a greater extent in honey user homes. The South, West and Northeast were the strongest honey markets. About 33.5% of U.S. households (30.3 million) made one or more purchase of honey in the past year. The typical honey user bought honey 2.6 times in the past year or about every 4 to 5 months. Approximately 36% of all buyers claimed only one honey purchase in the past year.
Winter months are identified as the peak usage period among 45.4% of households studied. However, 49% of homes report a stable, year around use of honey. Honey is primarily used at breakfast, 82% of users, with 42% indicating it use during dinner. In 64% of homes studied honey was used when illness arose. It was given as a gift in 24.2% and served at nonholiday guest meals in 42.4%. Glass is preferred as container material; nonusers primarily perceive honey to be used as a spread, topping or sweetener. Ingredient usage accounted for 44% of nonuser responses, but 88% of users indicated it was used commonly in meat/poultry products and baking.
Many honey users (64%) reported they didn't use much of the product and it went a long way. They indicated a preference for honey because of its taste, flavor and the fact that it is a natural product. One-third of nonusers reported not liking the taste of honey. Over 90% indicated honey was convenient and easy to use and that it was a good value. In 34.8% of stores honey was stocked with syrups, frequently near jellies or peanut butter.
Sticky honey containers were found in 21.8% of stores, while packages showing crystallization of honey were on display in 28.4 percent of stores. New England, the East Central and Pacific regions all showed above average sticky and crystallized containers. In the North East Central region the sticky condition was 34% above average with crystallization 20% below average. Crystallization was more frequent in the West, North Central, Mountain and Middle Atlantic areas.
3. Analyses of honey use patterns and attitudes in the food service industry indicate that about 52% of all food service operators use honey in some way. Highest use was in the West (62.6%), lowest in the Northeast (43.6%). Not surprisingly, quick service use of honey has shown greatest usage, mainly due to the honey-based dipping sauces of chicken nuggets. Again, most usage categorized honey as an ingredient. When asked what information would help them in their usage of honey, 47% indicated honey recipes.
HONEY QUALITY AND LABELING REGULATIONS
There is an old saying in real estate that says: "The most important item in selling a house is location, location, location." For honey, most studies indicate the watchword is quality, quality, quality. There is literally no substitute for it. Sticky containers and/or crystallized product on the shelf will not help sales. Neither will honey that is not labelled correctly or put up under less-than-sanitary conditions. Finally, of course it goes without saying that adulterated honey--that with sugar or corn syrup purposefully added--is an absolute no no.
Information on much of the above has been published by the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Adulteration is not a new problem, having first been described as early as 1759 by Sir John Hill, who said: "Beware of honey with a dishonest mixture of flour and other ingredients." The honey defense fund continues to screen samples of honey that are possibly adulterated. Contact the Secretary-Treasurer of, American Beekeeping Federation, if you have suspect samples.
Several kinds of regulations and rules which will contribute to enhancing the final quality of the product should also be adhered to. Honey house sanitation is addressed by Florida Food, Drug and Cosmetic Law, Chapter 55, 1979. Subsection (ss) 500.12 requires permits to manufacture, process or pack honey, and specific rules are laid down in ss 5E-6.08.
Perhaps the most confusing area for both processors and consumers alike is proper honey labelling. Specific provisions of the law are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (subsequently adopted by the State of Florida). They deal with lettering and label size, declaration of contents, and floral source.
The most common mistakes made in honey labels are:
- a. Placing the Net Wt. in the upper part of the label. It must be present in the lower 30% of the label.
- b. Using an improper Net Wt. statement. The words "Net Wt." must appear on all labels and a dual declaration (providing net weight in both pounds and ounces, for example 32 oz. or 2 lbs.) on containers of 1 to 4 pounds.
- c. Omitting a portion of the complete address of the producer, manufacturer or distributor.
- d. Claiming a pure floral source. As an example, the statement "Pure Tupelo Honey" is not allowed on the label, but "Pure Honey-Tupelo," can be used.
More details are available as Hints for the Hive #107, "Florida Honey Labelling Regulations." The final authority, however, is the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services. To ensure compliance, it is recommended that samples of honey labels be sent to Ms. Betsy Woodward, Chief, Food Laboratory, 3125 Conner Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1650, ph 904/488-0670.
PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE CONSUMER USING THE LABEL
I've seen a lot of labels and containers over the years that are designed to promote and sell honey. Consistently missing on the majority, however, is information about the product. No longer can honey be left to sell itself. We live in the information age. Information sells product. There's plenty of information to choose from about one of humankind's oldest sweets. Just pick up one of the numerous cookbooks on honey cookery or read about honey's long and impressive history in your nearest encyclopedia or beekeeping book.
Now tailor that information to the audience. Talk about the constituents of honey, the uses of honey, where it comes from, predominant (don't claim a pure source!) sources of the nectar, or how the bees make honey from nectar. Most of this is fascinating stuff to the uninformed and it will sell product.
Exhibits are another way to inform the consumer. They will attract a good deal of attention at mall shows, fair, carnivals or other public gatherings. However, they must be designed to be effective. Of particular concern is that the typical exhibit is designed around one single idea, attracts attention, tells a story and can be seen at a glance. Another importance area is the type and size of letters depending on distance of the audience from the exhibit.
Sincerely,
Malcolm T. Sanford
Bldg 970, Box 110620
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0620
Phone (352) 392-1801, Ext. 143 FAX: (352)-392-0190
http://www.ifas.ufl.edu/~mts/apishtm/apis.htm
INTERNET Address: MTS@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
©1987 M.T. Sanford "All Rights Reserved
