Date: 22/11/2023
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for public comment on an application to permit the sale and use of honey produced by Australian native stingless bees.
The application from the Australian Native Bee Association Inc. seeks to vary the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) to accept honey produced by native stingless bees as a standardised food in Australia and New Zealand.
FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said FSANZ has undertaken an assessment to determine the differences between Australian native bee honey and European honeybee honey and to evaluate any potential public health and safety concerns.
“The current definition of honey in the Code is appropriate to European honeybees, however honey produced by stingless bees has different sugar and moisture content so does not meet the current compositional requirements for honey," Dr Cuthbert said.
“The application seeks to distinguish these compositional requirements in the Code and establish a definition that is more appropriate for native bee honey".
Dr Cuthbert said the FSANZ assessment concluded that consumption of Australian native bee honey at the requested compositional limits does not present a risk to public health if beekeepers apply good hygienic practices.
To have your say, see our call for comment page. Submissions close 6pm (AEDT time) 17 January 2024.
What happens to my feedback?
Submissions will be published to our website as soon as possible after the end of the public comment period.
FSANZ will consider all feedback received through this submission process before deciding on whether to approve the application.
FSANZ's decision will be notified to ministers responsible for food regulation who can ask for a review or agree that the standard should become law.
More information:
Media contact:
- 0401 714 265 (Australia)
- +61 401 714 265 (from New Zealand)
- media@foodstandards.gov.au