Negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament have agreed that in future honey must clearly state its country of origin on its package label.

Negotiators and the European Parliament reached the provisional agreement late last night, Tuesday.

Until now, only honey blends had to be labeled to indicate whether or not they came from the EU.

In future the ratio of honey from each country should also be reported. The law also aims to prevent counterfeit honey from being mixed with the genuine product.

“Following feasibility studies and to further reduce fraud, the Commission will propose a single identification code or a similar technique to enable honey to be traced back to beekeepers,” a statement posted on the European Commission’s website said.

“It was also agreed that an EU expert platform should be set up to gather data to improve controls and detect honey adulteration, as well as make recommendations for a European tracing system to allow honey to be traced back to the producer who harvested it or the importer,” it added.

Before the regulations come into force, the European Parliament and EU member states must formally approve them, but this is considered a formality.

These directives also contain new regulations for juices and jams. According to the European Parliament’s website, juices will in future be able to carry the “reduced sugar” label if at least 30% of the sugar they naturally contain has been removed. However, sweetening substances may not be used.

The law also includes a provision stating that at least 450 grams of fruit must be used to produce one kilogram of jam.