UK Judge Permits “Raw” Label for Honey

March 14, 2024

A UK judge has decided that Odysea Ltd, an artisan food company, can use the word “raw” to describe its small-batch, minimally‑processed honey. Judge Neville, of the First‑tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber), gave the decision on 26 February 2024. The judgement is available here and opens with a classic reference to Winnie the Pooh:

“The things that make me different are the things that make me me”, said Piglet, who must have seen quite a bit of honey eaten over the years. If he treated Pooh to some “raw honey”, what would be different about it?

Plenty, says Odysea, who have sold thousands of jars of honey proudly labelled as “raw”: unlike ordinary honey, ours has not been heated above its natural temperature and has undergone far less processing, so is of better quality. Describing one of Odysea’s raw honey products, the judges at the Great Taste Awards complimented the “subtle pine and fir flavours, the perfect level of sweetness, the hint of saltiness, the sheer sexiness of this honey”.

Nothing, says Waltham Forest Trading Standards, who wants them to stop: all honey is raw because it has not been cooked, so it misleads consumers to suggest that yours is special. Odysea has had to reprint its labels to say “artisan honey” instead. The Tribunal must decide if that is right.

UK Judge Permits “Raw” Label for Honey

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