Does honey need an ingredient list?

Not if the jar contains only honey. A single-ingredient food is named by that ingredient, so the name "honey" says it all. Add anything else and you need a full ingredient list.

Does honey need a Nutrition Facts label?

Yes, unless you qualify for one of the FDA small business exemptions and your label and ads make no nutrition claims. Our free quiz tells you in a minute whether you fit.

Can I call my honey "wildflower honey"?

Yes. FDA lists wildflower honey as an acceptable name, as long as the claim about the floral source is truthful.

Why is honey in my granola counted as added sugar?

Because FDA's definition of added sugars includes sugars from honey and syrups added to a food. The special footnote rule is only for jars of pure honey.

Honey Labeling Requirements | FDA Rules for Every Jar

What to call it

A jar that holds only honey must be called "honey". That is its common or usual name. Because it has one ingredient, it needs no ingredient list.

You may add the floral source: "Clover honey", "Orange blossom honey", "Wildflower honey"
Only when you or your supplier can support that the named plant is the chief floral source
Declaring the floral source is optional
Any floral source claim must be truthful and not misleading

FDA guidance: Proper Labeling of Honey and Honey Products (Q2, Q3)The name "honey", the single-ingredient rule, and floral source names, which refer to FDA Compliance Policy Guide 515.300.

Honey blends and flavored honey

The name has to describe what is in the jar. Mix in another sweetener or a flavor and "honey" alone is no longer the right name.

What's in the jar	Name on the label	Ingredient list
Honey only	Honey (or Clover honey)	None needed
More honey than corn syrup	Blend of honey and corn syrup	Honey, corn syrup
More corn syrup than honey	Blend of corn syrup and honey	Corn syrup, honey
Honey with raspberry flavor shown on the label	Raspberry-flavored honey	Honey, natural flavor

Selling a honey and sugar mix as plain "honey" is a serious problem. FDA considers it adulterated, because a cheaper sweetener replaced part of the honey, and misbranded too.

FDA guidance: Proper Labeling of Honey and Honey Products (Q4 to Q9)Names and ingredient lists for blends and flavored honey, and how FDA treats products sold as honey that aren't.

The rest of the jar

Net weight on the front, in the bottom 30%: "Net Wt 12 oz", or "Net Wt 16 oz (1 lb)" from a pound up
Honey is sold by weight, not fluid ounces, because it is viscous
Your name and address, with "Packed for" or "Distributed by" if someone else packs it
A Nutrition Facts panel, unless you qualify for a small business exemption and make no nutrition claims

21 CFR 101.7 · 101.5 · 101.9(j)Net quantity, name and address, and the small business exemptions from nutrition labeling.

Nutrition Facts for honey

The serving size for honey is set by the FDA: 1 tablespoon, shown with its weight in grams.

Added sugars work differently on a jar of pure honey. You may leave out the usual "Includes Xg Added Sugars" line. You still show the % Daily Value for added sugars, followed by a "†" symbol. The symbol leads to a footnote at the bottom of the panel that explains, truthfully, how many grams of sugar one serving adds to the diet and what that means for the added sugars Daily Value.

This applies only to pure, single-ingredient honey
Honey used as an ingredient in another food, like granola or a glaze, counts as added sugars in the normal way
Blends of honey and other sweeteners don't get the special treatment

21 CFR 101.12(b) · 101.9(c)(6)(iii) · FDA added sugars guidance for honey and maple syrupThe 1 tbsp reference amount, honey as an added sugar in other foods, and FDA's guidance on the † footnote for pure honey.

State honey rules

Some states have their own honey laws or exemptions for small beekeepers, on top of the federal rules. Texas, for example, has a separate exemption for small beekeepers under state law. Check your state's agriculture or health department before you print.

Texas food label requirements →

Honey label checklist

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The name is "honey", with a floral source only if I can back it upNothing but honey is in the jar, or the name says it's a blend or flavoredBlends list every ingredient from most to least by weightThe net weight is in ounces (and pounds from 1 lb) in the bottom 30% of the frontMy name and address are on the labelNutrition Facts use 1 tbsp as the serving, or I'm exempt and make no claimsAdded sugars on pure honey: the standard line, or (optional) only the % Daily Value with † and a footnoteI checked my state's honey rules

Honey Labeling Requirements (FDA)

What to call it

Honey blends and flavored honey

The rest of the jar

Nutrition Facts for honey

State honey rules

Honey label checklist

Questions

Related pages

See your label before you pay anything

Honey Labeling Requirements (FDA)

What to call it

Honey blends and flavored honey

The rest of the jar

Nutrition Facts for honey

State honey rules

Honey label checklist

Questions

Does honey need an ingredient list?−

Does honey need a Nutrition Facts label?+

Can I call my honey "wildflower honey"?+

Why is honey in my granola counted as added sugar?+

Related pages

See your label before you pay anything