Honey Business: Legal Obligations in Selling Honey

Beekeeping is a great hobby. If you own a beehive, selling the honey surplus is a great way to make some extra income. Like any other type of business, starting up your honey business will include some legalities that you need to comply with. 

Interested in starting your own honey business? Here are some things to get you started. 

Registering your Business

The first thing you should do when starting a honey business is to become a registered food business. To register, contact your local council to obtain a registration form. They will also require you to complete a food recall plan. You can also contact your local council Environmental Health Officer to advise you on legislative compliance certification and food labelling requirements. 

Council-Approved Extracting and Packaging Premises

The legalities around the honey extracting and packaging premises varies depending on your local council. To find out the best practices and requirements for extracting, contact your local council to acquire accurate information. 

Business Name Registration

The hard part is choosing your brand name! You can check from the ASIC business name availability webpage to see whether your chosen brand name hasn’t been used. You can register your business name here

Create a honey label

All packaged food products in Australia need to comply with the food labelling laws. Labels are required to be food grade and the ink shouldn’t bleed or run if exposed to moisture. We’ve also talked about the parts of a honey label from our previous blog post!

Packaging

You can choose from plastic containers or a glass jar for your packaging. Ensure that the labels are installed well from the exterior. Additionally, honey is sold by weight in Australia. 

Now that you know the basics, you can now start your own honey business! Goodluck on your endeavours and know that it’s going to be a fun journey. 


Interested in buying beekeeping tools and equipment in bulk and discounted price? For personalised advice on products and tips for beehive management, give us a call on 0488 010 840 or get in touch via email at info@bee2bee.com.au. Shop online here (free shipping for orders over $300)!