Market trends for EU, honey sector.

1. TRENDS OFFER
OPPORTUNITIES ON THE
EUROPEAN HONEY MARKET
Presented by
Kaung Htut Aung (Mr.)
Deputy Superintendent
Department of Trade Promotion and Consumer Affairs
Ministry of Commerce

2. THERE ARE FOUR TRENDS THAT
OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES:
1. Food safety trends
2. Sustainability trends
3. EU is turning to imports
4. Speciality and innovation

3. FOOD SAFETY TRENDS
Honey as a healthy and natural food
 European consumers are increasingly
concerned about their health and nutrition.
Thus, healthy products – including honey – are
gaining popularity.
 The health trend in Europe has reinforced the
value of honey, and the position of honey in the
sweet spreads category in retail outlets
remains strong.
 In addition to the health aspect, the issue of
food safety is also high on the agenda.

4. FOOD SAFETY TRENDS (CONT’D)
Pesticide restrictions for bee health
 Research by the European Food Safety
Authority (ESFA) has identified three
pesticides widely used in agriculture
(clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam)
as a risk to honeybees.
 The EU’s proposal targets pesticides used in
the treatment of plants and cereals that are
attractive to bees and other pollinators.

5. FOOD SAFETY TRENDS (CONT’D)
Honey laundering
 Honey laundering refers to the re-labelling of
honey from one origin to suggest that it comes
from another region that is perceived by honey
buyers as offering better quality.
 Some honey exporters who do not meet EU
legal requirements cooperate with
international traders to ‘launder’ honey.

6. FOOD SAFETY TRENDS (CONT’D)
Easing of restrictions on
genetically modified organisms
(GMOs)
 The European Commission decided in 2011
that honey with pollen from GM crops required
specific labelling.
 In 2014, the European Commission changed
the status of pollen from that of a honey
ingredient to a honey constituent.
 GM pollen content now only has to be
mentioned on labels if it amounts to more than
0.9% of the honey.

7. SUSTAINABILITY TRENDS
Fairtrade certification on the rise
 Consumers in the EU are increasingly concerned
about suppliers at the other end of the production
chain. Consumers’ purchasing behaviour is
increasingly influenced by social factors, such as the
working conditions of beekeepers.
 The most popular certification related to the
working conditions of beekeepers is currently
Fairtrade. Following the Fairtrade Labelling
Organisation (FLO) standards, this certification
scheme aims to improve trade conditions for
developing country (DC) suppliers to the
international market.

8. SUSTAINABILITY TRENDS
(CONT’D)
Consumer awareness of environmental
issues
 European consumers are increasingly
concerned with the impact of agricultural
activities on the environment, and are willing
to pay more for products that have a lower
environmental impact. This trend has boosted
the market for organic products.

9. EU IS TURNING TO IMPORTS
Beekeeping sector in decline
 The beekeeping sector in Europe plays an important
economic role, generating more than €400 million a
year. The European Union therefore assists the
apiculture sector through subsidies, as laid down in
Council Regulation 917/2004.
 However, current production levels in the EU are
falling. The number of beekeepers is declining
mainly due to the reduction in bee populations and
the loss of colonies caused by colony collapse
disorder (CCD). Several factors have been found to
contribute to this situation, including intensive
agriculture and pesticide use.

10. SPECIALITY AND INNOVATION
Monofloral honeys
 Monofloral varieties, such as acacia, clover, fir and
pine, are gaining popularity, especially in the
leading EU honey markets. The consumption of
these products is expected to grow, relative to
blended honeys.
 However, there are differences between consumer
preferences in different EU countries. For example,
the European honey markets with the highest
interest in monofloral honeys are those in the
United Kingdom, Germany and France.

11. SPECIALITY AND
INNOVATION(CONT’D)
Honey - the flavour of the year
 The increasing popularity of honey as a natural
product has also had an impact on its use as a
flavouring in the food and beverage industry.
 While honey is commonly used as an ingredient
in salty-sweet snacks, and ready-to-drink tea
and cereals, it has become trendy in recent years
as a flavour additive in specialty drinks and
flavoured spirits.
 Another recent trend includes the use of honey
in distilled beverages.

12. SPECIALITY AND
INNOVATION(CONT’D)
Liquor Made
From Honey
Bee Energy Drink
Honey Flavored
Bourbon Whiskey
Some drinks & beverages made with honey
Source: google images search

13. SPECIALITY AND INNOVATION
(CONT’D)
Squeezable honey market expands
 Innovation may be found in the retail packaging
sector. Squeeze-bottle honey is the best example of
this.
 Though it has already been on the market for
several decades, the squeeze bottle is still boosting
honey consumption today.
 The extensive use of squeeze bottles in many EU
countries has led to a higher demand for liquid
honey (high fructose/glucose ratio of >1.2)

14. SPECIALITY AND INNOVATION
(CONT’D)
Honey squeeze bottle packaging
Source: google images search

15. SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR EXPORTERS
 The purity and natural features of honey are a great
marketing story, especially if you are targeting West-
European countries.
 Pay strict attention to the use of pesticides in your
area. Urge the responsible authority in your country to
implement a strict residue monitoring system for the
protection of your country’s positive image in the
honey market.
 The prevention of honey laundering requires strict
quality control measures at national level.

16. SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR
EXPORTERS (CONT’D)
 Acquire a 10-20% price premium for your honey
through certification for organic beekeeping.
 If your company offers monofloral varieties, you
would be well advised to keep up to date on the
preferences for honey shown in different
countries.
 Honey is becoming more and more popular as an
ingredient, which means that increasing
numbers of food and beverage companies will
want to work with it.
 Competitive pricing will be an important factor
when approaching such companies.

17. SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR
EXPORTERS (CONT’D)
 Find out how long it takes for your different honeys
to crystallise and consider sending samples to a
laboratory to determine the fructose/glucose ratio.
SEPARATE honeys that stay liquid for a long
time from those that crystallise fast. This will enable
you to offer honeys for squeeze bottles and creamed
honeys separately.