QM Honey and Apiary

[Calum]

Hi
the beekeepers of Westfälischer und Lippischer Imker e.V. and the agricultural board of trade have developed a quality system for beekeepers.
It looks very interesting indeed. And enables the beekeeper & food producer to start seriously documenting their processes so they can stand up to scrutiny in case of questions araising about the products sold. They also supply certification of conformance - which would seem like an excellent marketing tool.
Having read the quality guidebook there is nothing that most beekeepers are not doing already (or at least should be doing already) in it.
the main controls being :
control of water content of honey
control of all materials used for suitability for use in food production, wear and tear
the control of cleanliness of all items that come into contact with honey
the correct storage of honey
the frequent control of pests

The documentation implemented ;
honey store humidity & temp record
record of weight scale accuracy
record of filling glasses (glasses clean, what honey was filled, label serial numbers, ect)
record of harvesting of honey (cleanliness of centrifuge, buckets, tools, when harvested, from which sites ect)
record of bee health
record of actions planned / taken to better adhear to the guideline.
its implyed that stock cards are used too.

If there is sufficient interest i could ask for permission to translate this to english for use of the SBA / scottish beekeepers.
here is the link http://www.landwirtschaftskammer.de/landwirtschaft/tierproduktion/bienenkunde/formblaetter.htm
bye for now
Calum

[mbc]

"Controll of cleanliness of all items that come into contact with honey"???
I see bees sucking water from ditches and getting salt from cow pats.

[Calum]

yup, but after the frames are removed from the hive, it is up to the beekeeper to ensure the quality of his or her product.
In case of the Bull.S. of customers claiming they found rats noses in a glass jar of yours, it is very handy to have a documented process that you adhear to to ensure your honey is free of rats nose, and even rat snot....
I think the advent of no win no charge lawyers is even worse in the UK than it is here in Germany (if the TV ads are anything to go by).
Also a visit from weights and measures is not always the best of fun (I remember them visiting a bar I worked at).

there are more and more laws that apply to beekeeping probucts, that have not been applied in the past, but these are being applied more and more in the future...

[Calum]

foreword (google translated)
This guide represents thw basis for the quality standard "QM honey and Beekeeping ".
The ever- increasing demands of consumers and retailers and the growing number of legal requirements necessitated the development
a uniform standard for quality assurance and food safety.
Safeguarding and enhancing the quality of honey is an important factor in to be the marketing successfully . When obtaining a high-quality
Product, it is important to not only the final product , but the entire value chain look at.
The present concept of quality assurance and quality management beekeeping products is the first time a standard against which the whole process
comprises of beekeeping to the marketing of honey and requirements in the areas of beekeeping , honey production and ensure the quality of honey
formulated .
The main objectives of the standard " quality honey and beekeeping " are :
1. Introduction of a common standard with a uniform evaluation system.
2. Cooperation with the CA and qualified for the standard
approved auditors.
3. To ensure comparability and transparency within the like supply Chain
Beekeepers get with this guide an overview of all legal
Requirements they meet as pet owners and food business
have .
The guide was developed jointly by representatives of the Chamber of Agriculture of North Rhine
Developed Westphalia and the National Association of Westphalia and Lippe beekeepers

[Mellifera Crofter]

... to ensure your honey is free of rats nose, and even rat snot....


Rats' noses!? Did you translate that correctly, Calum?
Kitta

[Calum]

No it wasn't a part of the document, just an example


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[Mellifera Crofter]

Oh, just your vivid imagination. Well, the image I got in my head was quite vivid too.
Kitta

[Duncan]

They are supposed to have HACCP certification anyway. There is an EU directive about this. It has been issued some years ago and all beekeepers have to have it.

[Calum]

Hi Duncan

yes this is mandatory throughout Germany. This quality guideline goes well beyond that..

[Duncan]

When I asked beekeepers in Austria and Greece if they had HACCP - they asked back "What is this"? But it is mandatory in Bulgaria.

[nemphlar]

Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points eh!

[Duncan]

Correct! Certification is usually via a German company. It includes such items as analysis of water used in the establishment and migration statistics for contact surfaces etc etc etc......A beekeeper near me paid 8,000 euros for a floor plan = where the supers would enter the premises, where the extractor would be, where the bottles would be stored etc etc. Batch number statistics and heat treatment for honey plus plus plus. All food handling premises must have it, from Greasy George's City sandwich van to FIDL.

[Calum]

your mate paid way too much for it.
The H&S training mandatory for beekeepers (handeling of foodstuffs) is free.
8k€ for a floor plan, lolz he was ripped off - its about 50€s work...

[Duncan]

Yes I know, but when the Health Department says "You either get this or close down" he had to go with the flow so to speak. When is he going to get the expense back? Probably never, as he had a serious accident soon afterwards and has not recovered very well.

[nemphlar]

I was joking, I had assumed it meant something else. Anyone with reasonable knowledge of their business could carry out hazard analysis. Sounds a little like a consultant scam

[janeoh]

As a primary producer HACCP is not a requirement.