ICEA together with CRA – Research Unit on honey production and silk-worm raising of Bologna, and with C.I.BI. – Italian Consortium for Organic, organizer and owner of the BIOL logo and prize, under the patronage of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the province of Catania, The Chamber of Commerce of Catania,  promotes a competition to select the best national and international organic honeys to support quality honey production and promote its consumption.

Participants

BIOLMIEL is open to producers who practise organic farming methods according to national and international rules in force.

Objectives and aims

• To promote organic honey quality and to spread specific knowledge to the sector;
• To enhance the relation between beekeeping and sustainable development;
• To bring out differences related to natural and agricultural biodiversity;
• To favour exchange and technical innovation among those who deal with quality beekeeping;
• To raise awareness of the consumer for food products of Mediterranean culture.

Eligible Honeys

To the competition are admitted samples of honey:

• Organic of Italian origin certified according to EC Reg. 2092/91 and following amendments;
• Organic of foreign origin certified according to EC Reg. 2092/91 and following amendments;
• With a water content lower than 18%o;
• With a content of hydroxymethilfurfural (HMF) lower than 10 mg/kg.; 15 mg/kg for the heather and tropical honeys.

Samples of honey that meets the requirements will be evaluated within the required category (unifloral, polifloral or honeydew).

The prizes

• BIOLMIEL PRIZES for the best organic honeys in the world, based on categories(unifloral and/or multifloral)
• BIOLMIEL PACK prize assigned to the best packaging, meaning the best design and best and more exhaustive labelling.

Submission of samples

Operators that want to take part in the competition must send:

• A sampling of  3 jars of 500 g. each, in glass jar; 1 jar without label and 2 jars with label as per sale requirements.
• A duly filled registration format (here below).
• On the side, advertising material of the company to be used by ICEA for exhibitions and promotions.

If the operator takes part in more than one sector of the competition with more than one type of honey, the shipment can be made in one time, taking care to clearly distinguish the groups of 3 jars for each honey with the related registration format.

Prize procedures

The samples will be judged by a jury composed by tasters registered in the National List of Experts in Sensorial Analysis and foreign experts of the sector. Multifloral honeys will be judged both by experts and consumers who will evaluate the pleasantly. Visual, olfactory, tasting and tactile characteristics will be evaluated. Moreover all the analysis will be carried out to better evaluate the honey quality. Judgement of the jury will be unquestionable. Tasters could not take part in the competition as participants. To all participants that have a product perfectly meeting best quality standards, will be issued a quality certificate.