Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Health to detail the steps his Department is taking to ensure that honey sold here is genuine and not imported, adulterated honey.
Minister of Health: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has policy responsibility for the Honey Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, with the enforcement undertaken by district councils. The Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, which is also enforced by district councils, stipulates that it is an offence to sell any food ‘which is not of the nature or substance or quality demanded by the purchaser.’
The FSA gathers intelligence relating to food fraud and where there is credible evidence of food crime, works with district councils and other enforcement agencies to investigate the matter and take appropriate action in relation to the safety and authenticity of food.
The UK has a wide-ranging programme of activities on honey authenticity and associated methodology and the programme works in close collaboration with industry and academic experts in honey, the outputs of which are published and freely accessible.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs is responsible for conducting import controls on Products of Animal Origin, including honey, on entry to Northern Ireland in line with Regulation (EU) No. 2019/2129.
ENDS
Your MLA 