Baker's honey

Baker's honey is honey meant for industrial use or as an ingredient in foods that are processed afterwards. EU law lets it have a foreign taste or smell, have begun to ferment or fermented, or have been overheated. Since 14 June 2026 it also covers honey from which foreign matter was removed with a significant loss of pollen.

Its label must say "intended for cooking only" next to the product name, and bulk containers, packaging and sales documents carry the full name baker's honey. In a compound food the product name may mention honey, but the ingredient list says baker's honey. The limits are looser than for table honey: moisture up to 23 %, free acid up to 80 meq/kg, and no diastase or HMF limits. For baker's heather honey the moisture may reach 25 %. It cannot carry a floral or other origin.

Why this matters to you: baker's honey in the ingredient list of a biscuit or sauce means honey under looser rules, not the honey from a jar. To eat honey as it is, look for ordinary honey with the country of harvest on the label.