Labelling your honey and bee products
If you package honey or bee products, you need to comply with the labelling requirements in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Australia NZ Food Standards code
Use our guides to help you
We developed A guide to New Zealand honey labelling to help honey extractors, packers, manufacturers, and importers meet the requirements of the Food Standards Code, Fair Trading Act, and Weights and Measure Regulations.
A guide to New Zealand honey labelling [PDF, 343 KB]
The guide includes a sample nutrition information panel (NIP) you can use. If your honey product is different to that in the guide, you can use the nutritional panel calculator (NPC) provided by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. The NPC helps you calculate the average nutrient content of your food product and prepare your NIP.
Nutrition panel calculator – Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Additional requirements for royal jelly and bee pollen
If your product is (or contains) royal jelly or bee pollen, you'll need to include a warning or advisory statement on your label. This is because of the risk of allergic reactions to these products. This guide has more information about warning and advisory statements:
A guide to retail food labelling [PDF, 1 MB]
Labelling honey for export
If you're exporting honey, we've developed some additional export-specific guidance:
Guide to labelling of New Zealand honey for export [PDF, 3.3 MB]
Questions and answers for labelling of New Zealand honey for export [PDF, 142 KB]
Exemptions for honey products for export
Some honey and honey-based products will be exempt from the requirements of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. This may be the case if the product:
- is being exported
- will comply with the importing country’s requirements, and
- the importing country requirements are sufficiently prescribed.
Animal Products Notice: Honey and Honey Based Products – Food Standards Exemption [PDF, 158 KB]
Find out more about exporting honey and bee products
Mānuka honey
Find out about how mānuka honey is tested and authenticated, and what the export requirements are for it.
Using a labelling consultant
If you still need help, you could consider using a food consultant for labelling advice.
Find out about about hiring a food consultant
Who to contact
If you have questions about labelling honey and bee products, email info@mpi.govt.nz
