FSSAI Clarifies Regulatory Treatment of Honey Exceeding HMF Limits

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an important clarification regarding the FSSAI honey HMF limit, bringing much-needed regulatory clarity to India’s honey industry. According to the advisory, honey samples that exceed the permissible Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) limit will be classified as “substandard”, and not as “unsafe food.”

This clarification is expected to reduce ambiguity for enforcement officials, testing laboratories, honey producers, traders, and exporters, while ensuring consistency in regulatory action across the country.

What Is HMF and Why Is It Regulated?

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a compound that forms naturally in honey over time. Elevated HMF levels typically occur when honey:

• ages naturally
• is exposed to excessive heat
• is stored improperly
• undergoes prolonged processing

High HMF levels are widely recognised as an indicator of quality degradation, not necessarily a marker of toxicity. This scientific understanding underpins FSSAI’s clarification on the FSSAI honey HMF limit.

Substandard vs Unsafe: Understanding the Legal Distinction

Under India’s Food Safety and Standards Act, food products are classified based on risk and compliance:

Substandard Food

• Does not meet prescribed quality parameters
• Does not pose an immediate health hazard

Unsafe Food

• May cause harm or illness
• Contains hazardous substances or contaminants

By confirming that honey exceeding the FSSAI honey HMF limit is substandard rather than unsafe, the regulator has drawn a clear line between quality failure and safety risk.

Why This Clarification Was Necessary

Before this advisory, inconsistent interpretations led to:

• enforcement officers treating high-HMF honey as unsafe
• uncertainty for traders and processors
• regulatory challenges for exporters
• occasional legal disputes over classification

The clarification standardises enforcement and ensures uniform application of the FSSAI honey HMF limit nationwide.

Implications for Honey Producers and Traders

The updated guidance directly impacts:

• beekeepers
• honey processors
• packers and brand owners
• wholesalers
• exporters

While honey exceeding the FSSAI honey HMF limit will still face regulatory action, such action will fall under quality non-compliance provisions, which may include:

• rejection of batches
• withdrawal or seizure
• penalties related to substandard food

Crucially, harsher penalties applicable to unsafe food will not apply solely due to HMF exceedance.

Export and Trade Significance

India is among the world’s leading honey exporters, making clarity on the FSSAI honey HMF limit particularly important.

The clarification:

• reduces grading ambiguity
• supports smoother domestic enforcement
• aligns Indian practice with international scientific norms
• improves regulatory predictability for exporters

Export consignments must still comply with importing-country regulations, which may have different HMF thresholds.

What This Means for Consumers

For consumers, the clarification provides reassurance that:

• regulators differentiate between quality deviation and health risk
• honey with elevated HMF is not automatically unsafe
• transparency and scientific reasoning guide enforcement

Consumers are still advised to:

• purchase honey from reliable brands
• check labels carefully
• store honey properly to prevent quality deterioration

Enforcement and Testing Will Continue

The clarification does not relax regulatory oversight. FSSAI and state authorities will continue to:

• conduct routine sampling and testing
• enforce labelling and quality standards
• take action against repeated or deliberate violations

Adulteration, misbranding, or unsafe contamination remain serious offences regardless of HMF levels.

Alignment With Scientific Consensus

Food scientists globally recognise HMF as a quality indicator, not an automatic marker of toxicity at typical failure levels.

FSSAI’s stance on the FSSAI honey HMF limit reflects a science-based, proportionate, and rational regulatory approach—balancing consumer protection with industry practicality.

Key Points at a Glance

• Honey exceeding HMF limits will be classified as substandard
• It will not be treated as unsafe food solely on this basis
• Clarification ensures uniform enforcement nationwide
• Quality checks and penalties still apply
• Exporters benefit from greater regulatory certainty

Conclusion

FSSAI’s clarification on the FSSAI honey HMF limit is a pragmatic and science-aligned step that strengthens India’s food regulatory framework. By clearly separating quality failure from safety risk, the regulator has enhanced transparency while maintaining public health safeguards.

For India’s honey industry, clearer rules translate into greater confidence, smoother compliance, and a more predictable regulatory environment.