Import Conditions for Agricultural Products

Trade Facilitation Unit - Honey

Honey - the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees from the nectar of blossoms or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which honeybees collect, transform and combine with specific substances of their own, store and leave in the honey comb to ripen and mature.

Import Conditions

  1. The processing facility must have a HACCP program in place verified by the competent authority;
  2. The facility must be registered under the competent authority in the country where the honey is produced

Labeling Requirements

  1. Only pure, non-blended honey is allowed for import into The Bahamas;
  2. The honey meets all labelling and other food safety requirements of the Food Safety and Quality Food Regulations;
  3. Honey meets all labelling requirements for the General Standard on the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985), the CARICOM Regional Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods and the Codex Standard for Honey CXS 12-1981

Supporting Documents

  1. Present an export license to Customs from the country of export prior to placement of an order;
  2. A certificate of origin must be produced;
  3. All imported honey must produce a sanitary/health certificate, signed by a Veterinarian that indicates that apiary producers were inspected and the honey was harvested from beehives free of American and European Foulbrood and small hive beetle for the past 6 months;
  4. A declaration that no coloring, food additives, hormones, antibiotics or processing aids have been used in the production of honey;
  5. An attestation that “this honey product is free from contamination and is safe for human consumption”;
  6. Documentation indicating that the exporter is approved (registered) for international trade to The Bahamas by that country’s competent authority.

Shipping Requirements:

  1. The honey has not been in contact with bees for 48hrs. before being shipped;
  2. Only single use containers are used to package the honey.

Quality Standards

  1. Honey shall not be heated or processed to such an extent that its essential composition is changed and/ or its quality is impaired;
  2. Honey shall comply with maximum residue levels for heavy metals, pesticides and veterinary drugs as established by Codex Alimentarius;
  3. Honey shall be prepared and handled in accordance with the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969);
  4. Color – honey varies in color from nearly colorless to dark brown;
  5. Consistency – the consistency can be fluid, viscous or partly to entirely crystallized;
  6. Flavor and aroma – honey flavor and aroma varies based on plant origin.