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Hot Honey Label

Hot honey label rules start where pure honey's end. Chili and vinegar turn honey into a food with more than one ingredient, so the jar needs a name that describes it, not just "honey", plus an ingredient list, the net weight, the packer's name and address, and a Nutrition Facts panel built on 1 tablespoon unless an exemption fits. The added sugars line prints in full, because the † shortcut is only for pure honey. Enter your recipe and the panel is done.

Start with this recipe Honey Nutritional Information Label
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Hot honey label on a 12 oz glass jar of chili infused honey with a Nutrition Facts panel showing 60 calories per tablespoon
Checklist

What has to be on your hot honey label

Up front: the name and how much honey is in the jar. On the back: the panel and the rest. Each number points to the jar beside the list.

Front label
CHILI INFUSEDHotHoney
NET WT 12 OZ (340g)
Back label
Nutrition Facts
about 16 servings per container
Serving size1 tbsp (21g)
Calories60
Total Fat 0g0%
Sodium 0mg0%
Total Carb. 17g6%
Total Sugars 16g
Incl. Added Sugars 16g32%
Protein 0g
Not a significant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
INGREDIENTS: Honey, apple cider vinegar, red pepper.
Allergens: none of the 9 major food allergens.
Packed by Smoke Hollow ApiaryLexington, KY 40507
  1. 1
    A name beyond honey21 CFR 101.3, 102.5(a)
    The name has to describe the food, and honey with other ingredients is not plain honey. "Hot honey" with a line like "honey infused with chili peppers" leaves no doubt.
  2. 2
    Net weight21 CFR 101.7
    Honey is sold by weight, so the jar states ounces and grams, low on the front panel: NET WT 12 OZ (340g).
  3. 3
    Nutrition Facts21 CFR 101.9
    Per 1 tbsp, with the grams in parentheses. The "Includes 16g Added Sugars" line stays on the panel.
  4. 4
    Ingredient list21 CFR 101.4
    Pure honey can skip it. Hot honey cannot: honey, the vinegar and the chili, heaviest first.
  5. 5
    Allergen statementFALCPA
    Honey, chili and vinegar are not major allergens. A pecan or sesame topping on a gift set would need a Contains line.
  6. 6
    Name and address21 CFR 101.5
    The beekeeper or packer, with city, state and ZIP code. Someone else fills the jars for your brand? "Packed for" or "Distributed by" before your name.
Hot honey rules

Things that are different for hot honey

Not honeyWhy the name needs moreFDA's honey guidance says a food made only of honey is named "honey" and needs no ingredient statement. A blend of honey with other ingredients needs a name that accurately describes the food, and an ingredient statement listing each ingredient.FDA guidance: Proper Labeling of Honey and Honey ProductsHoney Labeling Requirements (FDA) →
No †The pure honey shortcut is offPure honey may leave out the gram amount of the "Includes Xg Added Sugars" line, keep the % Daily Value and add a † footnote. FDA limits that to pure, single-ingredient honey, sugars and syrups. Hot honey shows the full line: 16 g added sugars, 32% DV per tablespoon in the sample.FDA guidance: Declaration of Added Sugars on Honey, Maple Syrup, Other Single-Ingredient Sugars and Syrups
1 tbspServing size: the honey lineHot honey falls under honey, jams, jellies and fruit butters: a 1 tbsp reference amount. A tablespoon of the sample weighs 21 g, so the serving reads 1 tbsp (21g).21 CFR 101.12(b), Table 2
FlavorChili flavor instead of chiliHeat from a chili flavoring rather than real peppers? FDA treats a flavor named on the label as a characterizing flavor, and its honey guidance gives "raspberry-flavored honey" as the pattern for the name. The flavoring goes in the list as "natural flavor" or "artificial flavor".21 CFR 101.22(h), (i); FDA honey guidance
Red pepperSpice or chili by nameRed pepper is on FDA's spice list, so it may appear in the ingredient list as just "spice". On a jar people buy for the heat, naming it is the clearer choice. Our tool prints "red pepper".21 CFR 101.22(a)(2), (h)(1)Start a label →
Dip cupSingle cups for pizza and wingsA dip cup with 1 oz (28 g) of hot honey holds about 1 1/3 tablespoons, under 200% of the reference amount, so the whole cup is one serving. With under 12 square inches of label space, the cup may go without a panel, as long as it carries no nutrition claim and points buyers to an address or phone number for the facts.21 CFR 101.9(b)(6), (j)(13)(i)
Sizes

Hot honey jars and the label that fits

Honey jars and squeeze bottles leave a narrow back panel. Pick your container, then try the styles in the tool.

ContainerTypical label areaStyle that usually fits
1 oz dip cup1.5 in round lidSmall package (linear), 1 serving
8 oz squeeze bottle2 × 2.5 inTabular (wide)
12 oz glass jar2.5 × 3 inStandard (vertical)Most common
16 oz jar3 × 3.5 inStandard (vertical)
Sample recipe included

Start from a hot honey that's already filled in

Warm the honey gently, stir in the vinegar and cayenne, and let it sit before jarring. The library matches ground cayenne to USDA's red pepper; crushed red pepper flakes from a supplier can go in as your own ingredient from their label. Like it hotter? Add more pepper and watch the ingredient order hold: honey stays far ahead.

Start with this recipe
IngredientAmountUnit
Honey✓ USDA match1cup
Apple cider vinegar✓ USDA match1tbsp
Cayenne pepper✓ USDA match2tsp
Makes about 12.6 oz, one 12 oz jar with a spoonful to spareServing 1 tbsp (21 g), the reference amount for honey
Questions

Hot honey label questions

No. FDA's honey guidance reserves the name "honey" for a food that contains only honey. Add the chili and you need a descriptive name, like "Hot honey" or "Chili infused honey", and an ingredient list.

Related pages

PRODUCTCustom Honey LabelPRODUCTHoney Nutritional Information LabelGUIDEHoney Labeling Requirements (FDA)PRODUCTHot Sauce LabelPRODUCTFire Cider LabelTEMPLATESFree Nutrition LabelsLABEL MAKERNutrition Label Generator

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