Why is it worth consuming Polish honey?
Dear friends, we have recently come to live in truly strange times... However, despite the economic and financial difficulties that we have all had to face, we believe there are values in life that are not worth losing. For us, these are:
- respect for the traditional craft of beekeeping,
- supporting local, national beekeeping and honey production,
- the artisanal nature and purity of natural products from the apiary in order to preserve their health benefits.
Therefore, we take pride in being able to proudly support our national honey production - offering you our best, real and straight from the apiary - Polish honeys!
Table of contents:
1. Reasons why it is worth consuming Polish honey
2. Why is more and more honey from abroad appearing on the Polish market?
3. How to recognise Polish honey, i.e. the PRODUKT POLSKI label
4. Is anyone monitoring the correctness of Polish honey labelling?
5. The difficult plight of Polish honey producers
6. Are differences in natural honey a defect?
7. A reminder about the right to return!
1. There are many reasons why it is worth consuming Polish honey:
- the honey has travelled a short distance from the hive to the jar, and then to you,
- it does not contain artificial additives, dyes, preservatives, etc.,
- it is worth purchasing honey locally due to the presence of local pollen (consuming such honey in winter makes it easier to tolerate pollen allergies in summer),
- by buying Polish honey, you support Polish beekeepers in running apiaries and providing care for bees – pollinators that are so important for all national crops and other plants,
- you can buy unique varieties of honey (depending on the nectar sources near the apiary) which are hard to find in supermarkets, e.g. raspberry, blueberry, goldenrod honey, etc.,
- when purchasing honey, you can also buy other apiary products that are difficult to obtain elsewhere, e.g. bee pollen, bee bread, propolis,
- it has very valuable nutritional, health, and cosmetic properties,
- honey from a beekeeper is not standardised and has a unique taste, depending on the variety and even weather or soil conditions, etc. The taste of each type of honey may vary depending on the harvest; it is worth trying and feeling the difference,
- money spent on a Polish product stays in Poland. You thus support the local economy, as well as a real person who has a family, passion, and friends. It is worth supporting national ventures to effectively develop our country.
2. Why is more and more honey from abroad appearing on the Polish market?
There is currently more and more honey from abroad appearing on the Polish market for several main reasons:
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Demand for honey: In recent years, interest in healthy eating and natural products has grown significantly. Honey is valued for its health properties and used as a sweeter alternative to sugar. The increase in demand for honey has caused a greater need for this product, which can lead to the import of larger quantities of honey from abroad.
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Domestic production: Poland is one of the largest honey producers in Europe; however, in some years, domestic production can be unstable due to variable weather conditions and external factors such as bee diseases or environmental pollution. In such situations, importers may seek supplies from abroad to supplement market shortages.
- Abolished VAT and customs duties for imports from Ukraine: Unfortunately, this political decision meant that a lot of cheaper honey appeared on our domestic Polish market, which was often sold by Ukrainian citizens fearing the war going on across our borders... This situation was exploited by many importers for their own profit. Unfortunately, this is not good for our domestic market, as in times of rising inflation, prices for domestic honey remain stagnant... Furthermore, honey produced outside the European Union does not have to meet the same strict quality standards as our European or Polish honey.
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Prices and competition: Importing honey from abroad often involves lower production costs in other countries. In some regions of the world, for example in China, India, or Argentina, honey production can be cheaper due to differences in labour, production costs, and availability of raw materials. This makes imported honeys price-competitive compared to domestic products.
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Variety of flavours and types: Importing honey from abroad can also introduce a greater variety of honey flavours and types to the Polish market. Different bee species and varieties of honey plants in other countries can result in differences in the taste and aroma of honey. Consumers may be interested in exploring different flavours and choosing products from beyond our borders to discover new taste sensations.
It should be noted that foreign products will often unfortunately be of lower commercial quality than domestic products, or even those from European Union territories where numerous standards and bodies impose strict conditions for placing food products of animal origin on the market. Especially regarding real honey.
However, it is worth remembering that despite the increased presence of honey from abroad, Polish honey production still has its place on the market. Many consumers appreciate local products, support Polish beekeepers, and prefer buying honey from native apiaries.
3. How to recognise Polish honey, i.e. the PRODUKT POLSKI label
On 1 January 2017, the Act amending the Act on the commercial quality of agricultural and food products came into force, introducing the possibility of using the 'Produkt polski' label.
According to information directly from the government website, the entity responsible for labelling a product that wishes to state it meets the above criteria can do so either by placing the words 'Produkt polski' or by placing a graphic symbol containing this information. Entities that place the 'Produkt polski' information without meeting the above criteria will be subject to a penalty specified in the provisions of the Act of 21 December 2000 on the commercial quality of agricultural and food products (Journal of Laws of 2016, item 1604, as amended).
The design of the graphic symbol containing the 'Produkt polski' information was determined by the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 16 December 2016 on the design of the graphic symbol containing the 'Produkt polski' information (Journal of Laws of 2016, item 2148).
Specifying the design of the 'produkt polski' symbol will enable consumers to more easily find products that meet the criteria set out in the Commercial Quality Act for the 'Produkt polski' information, i.e. produced in Poland using Polish raw materials.
The regulation adopts a simple symbol design that will be very easily associated by consumers with domestic products – a white and red background, with the non-stylised text 'Produkt polski'.
The graphic symbol containing the 'Produkt polski' information has the shape of a rectangle divided horizontally into two equal rectangles. The outline of the symbol is defined by a red border.
4. Is anyone monitoring the correctness of Polish honey labelling?
Of course they are! It is sad to hear allegations about imported honey when we put so many years and so much work and dedication into our activities and our Polish products, which we take pride in by placing the official designation for food products produced in Poland using Polish raw materials 'Produkt Polski' next to each product in our shop. The country of origin is also always marked on the product - as a legally operating entity, in accordance with regulations and standards, we are under constant supervision of the veterinary and sanitary services, as well as officials from the Trade Inspection and its sub-department WIHARS, which monitors and confirms the quality of products.
5. The difficult plight of Polish honey producers
Unfortunately, it is most often we who receive inspections on behalf of those 'companies' that put imported honey into circulation and then sign off with non-existent or false data, which is already very demotivating, and the words of some Customers or market competitors further weaken our morale and belief that it is worth fighting for and that the consumer appreciates it. It is becoming increasingly difficult to engage in native Polish craftsmanship when someone suspects it is an imported product anyway, which would certainly be more profitable... However, we are still stubbornly standing our ground and I think we would rather not do this at all than introduce products of unknown origin and doubtful quality under a brand that the 3rd generation is already working on.
6. Czy różnice w naturalnym miodzie są jego wadą?
Differences between batches of honey are not a defect of the honey. We do not standardise, so as not to unnecessarily process the honey. Every honey in our offer is tested to confirm its compliance with the Polish standard on the species affiliation of honey. If the honey does not meet the physicochemical characteristics as stated on the product card in the description in our online store, there may have been an error in labelling the honey or simply human error. In such a case, please contact us urgently to clarify the situation.
7. A reminder about the right to return!
We remind you that in connection with distance selling, you ALWAYS have the right to return the goods - even without giving a reason. Every seller can also propose to pick up the products from the Customer by courier at their own expense to meet the growing needs of conscious Customers and provide them with assistance. We believe that in this way, sellers offering products inconsistent with the descriptions on websites and inconsistent with generally applicable quality standards for real honey can be effectively discouraged.
Sources/ Bibliography:
https://www.gov.pl/web/rolnictwo/produkt-polski1
https://pasieka24.pl/index.php/pl-pl/aktualnosci/kupuj-polski-miod-kategoria/2637-dlaczego-warto-kupowac-polski-miod
