Honey; natural

HS code 040900 covers natural honey, a highly valued food product and important ingredient in various industries. Honey is a natural sweetener produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. It has a long history of use in human civilization and plays a significant role in the global food and agricultural economy.

The production of natural honey involves several key steps. Honeybees collect nectar from flowers and store it in their hives. The bees then process the nectar, adding enzymes and removing excess water, to create the thick, viscous honey. Beekeepers harvest the honey by removing the honeycomb frames from the hive and extracting the honey, often through a centrifugal process. The honey is then filtered, processed, and packaged for distribution.

The primary inputs for the honey industry are the honeybees themselves, as well as the flowers and plants that provide the nectar. Beekeepers also require specialized equipment such as hives, frames, and extraction machinery. Other inputs include packaging materials, transportation, and labor for managing the hives and harvesting the honey.

The main output of HS code 040900 is natural, unprocessed honey. This honey can be consumed directly or used as an ingredient in a wide range of food and beverage products, including 210690 Food preparations not elsewhere specified or included, 190190 Malt extract; food preparations of flour, groats, meal, starch or malt extract, not containing cocoa or containing less than 40% by weight of cocoa calculated on a totally defatted basis, not elsewhere specified or included; food preparations of goods of headings 0401 to 0404, not containing cocoa or containing less than 5% by weight of cocoa calculated on a totally defatted basis, not elsewhere specified or included, and 170290 Other sugars, including chemically pure lactose, maltose, glucose and fructose, in solid form; sugar syrups not containing added flavouring or colouring matter; artificial honey, whether or not mixed with natural honey; caramel.