Honey harvesting and extracting

This Honey AgGuide is an essential manual for anyone wishing to remove and extract honey under the best possible conditions. It is also a reference manual for all serious beekeepers who wish to ensure they do everything possible to maintain the highest quality honey. It is focused on the commercial production and handling of honey, but also provides helpful information for recreational and side-line honey producers.

This book informs beekeepers of best practices so that their hard work results in a product of optimum quality. It also describes the threats to honey quality which can occur through poor handling skills or poor design of facilities. It includes references to legislation about food production, where relevant. It shows the way to document procedures so that they can be used as evidence of best practice.

PART A: HIVE TO EXTRACTION 

Part A is about:

• safety of personnel
• properties of honey
• removing honey from the hive
• transporting honey to the extracting facility.



PART B: EXTRACTION PREMISES

Part B  is about:

• the location and construction of the extraction facility 
• surrounding grounds
• site as a food premise
• design
• mobile extraction facilities.



PART C: EXTRACTION PROCESS

Part C is about:

• the extraction process
• extraction equipment
• maintenance of the equipment
• storage of honey.



PART D: EVIDENCE

Beekeepers and other food producers must have documented and traceable evidence that food materials have been handled safely and free from any contamination.

Part D of this book outlines the requirements for the documentation and provides examples of satisfactory ways to demonstrate compliance. This is the Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points or HACCP for the honey industry.