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Organic Honey Information - beesquit

We hold organic certification from Authority Biedrība 'Vides kvalitāte' (LV-BIO-01), with certification number LV-BIO-01.428-0000924.2023.001. This certification ensures that our honey products meet stringent organic standards, guaranteeing their purity, naturalness, and adherence to environmentally friendly beekeeping practices. Our commitment to organic farming is further validated by our certification, which underscores our dedication to providing high-quality, sustainable honey to our customers.

To verify the authenticity of our organic certification, you can visit the website of Authority Biedrība 'Vides kvalitāte' and enter our certification number LV-BIO-01.428-0000924.2023.001 in the designated verification tool. This allows you to confirm that our honey products have been certified as organic by the relevant authority.

Organic products are obtained through farming using natural methods – without the use of chemically synthesized substances such as pesticides and mineral fertilizers. A mandatory condition for agriculture is healthy soil, which is a natural and living organism with diverse flora and fauna, and soil processes are stimulated to increase productivity. Organic agriculture is based on healthy and fertile soil, which can resist pests and diseases on its own.

We like organic beekeeping because the standards and monitoring are a way of ensuring that the honey is pure, natural, and produced in a bee-friendly way and to the highest standards possible.

In order to become certified organic, the beekeeper has to go through a rigorous process that can last up to three years. Only when the beekeeper has proven that he or she can adhere to organic standards does the certificate become awarded. Then the certificate has to be renewed each year.

These standards involve:

  • Hives being made purely of natural substances.
  • Hives placed so that all lands within the flying radius of the hives are organically farmed or are wild places where there is no use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and sources of pollution.
  • Treatments used for varroa mite, the main threat to bee health, are to be made from organic acids or essential oils, and treatment is carried out at a time of year when there is no risk of the honey becoming contaminated.
  • Wax used to create bases for combs must be organic.
  • If feeding is necessary due to prolonged bad weather to ensure the colony survives, then the bees must be fed honey from an organic beekeeping unit, organic sugar, or organic syrup.
  • All activities concerning the hives must be recorded, such as extracting honey, feeding, depleting varroa-mites.
  • Maps are to be kept of the hive locations and must be available for the inspectors.
  • Extraction facilities must also follow organic principles so that the integrity of the honey is not compromised.
  • Enough honey and pollen must be left to meet the bees' needs.
  • The whole chain from beekeeper to seller must be traceable to prove the integrity of the honey.

In addition, the certifying body will make unannounced visits to the hives to ensure the beekeeper is following organic principles. The beekeeper will have to undergo an annual audit to show the amount of organic honey produced and that they have followed all the requirements.

Here at Beesquit Honey Shop, we have to show that we keep full records of all the organic honey we receive and send out so that every jar is traceable.

The honey also has to be stored in such a way that it cannot become mixed up with non-organic honey. Therefore, in our warehouse, the organic honey is kept separately from the raw but not certified organic honey.

Furthermore, additional EU standards dictate that honey cannot be fine-filtered to prolong shelf life (keep runny) or heated above 60 degrees centigrade.