1. Participation Requirements
1.1. Participation is open to all amateur and professional beekeepers, producer groups, packers, traders registered for the 47th Apimondia International Apicultural Congress (thereafter the ‘Congress’) with any Congress Pass (including Full, Accompanying, Daily, Student, free, or Exhibition Pass) or with an online registration.
1.2. Members of the Judging Panel are not eligible to participate. Any person involved in the organisation of the 47th Apimondia Congress and the members of the Apimondia Executive Council are entitled to submit an exhibit but, if it is deemed worthy, can be granted a simple mention but not an award.
1.3. Register online for participating in the Honey WBA 2022. Make sure that all relevant sections (forms WBA-H1 and WBA-H2) have been completed and that you confirm to having read and understood the rules and regulations.
1.4. Read the class requirements carefully. Select the classes in which you are participating and complete payment for each class. There is no limit on the number of classes entered by a participant but participants may submit up to a maximum of 3 exhibits in each class.
1.5. Print the “Registration Confirmation Form” of the congress that you’ll receive via online registration system after you finalize the registration process and make the payment and also the “Participation Form / WBA-H1” and the “Participation Form / WBA-H2” which you can find on the web site. Do not forget to attach these 3 (4 or more if several honeys are presented) forms with the proof of payment of the congress and the competition to the honeys you intend to present. Also keep a copy of these forms for your reference.
1.6. English is the official language of the WBA 2022. All mails and the honey description form must be submitted in English.
1.6. Any exhibitor seen or known to have attempted to bribe any member of the judging panel will immediately have all their exhibits disqualified.
2. Requirement to Honey Exibit
2.1 Official requirement
To participate in the Contest the entrant must fullfill the WBA 2022 official rules and - honey must fullfill the Honey CODEX rules and the legislation of their country and surely absence of contamination and of adulteration
2.2 Traceability
Honey must present a full traceability from the beekeeper to the jar. In case of blend of honey, at least the number of beekeeper producers implicated and their geographical localisation (region and country) must be indicated in the document linked to the honey presented. In case of blend of honeys coming from different countries, the % of honey coming from the different countries must be indicated.
The official honey “Description form WBA-H2” (available on the website) must be attached to the honey entered in the competition.
2.3 Presentation of Honey, Honey frame and Honey with added natural products
Honey must be send in standard colourless glass jars of any shape or clear transparent plastic containers. Jars or containers must have secure, easily removable lids, standard screw tops or twist-offs. Lids may be either metal or plastic. In case of presentation of different honeys, they must be clearly identify in relation to the form of identification.
Main requirements to the exhibiting of honey and honey with added natural products are:-
Note: this is what is meant by colourless glass jar. This shows a white plastic screw-on lid.
2.4 Quality requirements
All the honey samples can be check to verify their quality and authenticity.
Here is the list of test that can be done
3. List of possible classes
The class to which the submitted honey refers must be clearly indicated on the form.
3.1. Raw honey
Honey extracted from the combs, settled, and then strained. Raw honey has not been heated to the extent that its original invertase enzyme fall under 50 EU/kg or 25 EU/kg for specific monofloral honeys (citrus, lavendula, rhododendron, tilia, robinia, rosmarinus, brassica, lichi, arbustus, erica arborea…).
Section A. Raw Liquid Honey
In this section, honey must stay naturaly liquid without liquefaction process (warming)
The exhibits in Section A should have no signs of granulation when the honey arrive in the laboratory.
Class 1. Multifloral honey, forest honey or honeydew from different botanical origins
Class 2. Monofloral liquid honey or specific honeydew (botanical origin must be specified). The botanical origin will be confirmed by laboratory analyzes
Section B. Raw Crystallised Honey
Natural cristallization is accepted but technical method can be used to improve the process of cristallization to arrive to a soft-crystallized honey (honey can have a smooth, matt dry surface with no movement, and be the consistency of spreadable butter.)
Class 3. Cristallized multifloral honey or honeydew from different botanical origins.
Class 4. Naturally crystallised monofloral honey or specific honeydew (botanical origin must be specified). The botanical origin will be confirmed by laboratory analyzes.
Section C. Honey Comb
Class 5. Pieces of cut-comb honey displayed in cut-comb containers. (One piece in each container).
3.2 Processed Honey
Section D. Processed Liquid Honey
This section must present only honeys with a natural low speed of cristallization (F/G > 1,3). Pasteurization is alowed but HMF must stay < 20 mg/kg. The exhibits here should have no signs of granulation during all the analytical process till the final jugement.
Class 6. Multifloral liquid honey, forest honey or honeydew from different origins
Class 7. Monofloral liquid honey or specific honeydew (botanical origin must be specified). The botanical origin will be confirmed by laboratory analyzes.
Section E. Processed Crystallised Honey
These exhibits should have a smooth, matt dry surface with no movement, and be of the consistency of spreadable butter.
Class 8. Soft crystallised multifloral honey or honeydew from different origins
Class 9. Soft crystallised monofloral honey or specific honeydew (botanical origin must be specified). The botanical origin will be confirmed by laboratory analyzes.
Section F. Honey with added natural products
Class 10. Jars of honey with added products (cinnamon, nuts, dried fruits, etc.). Jars/containers filled to the correct level.
4. Quantity requirement
To participate participant must submit at least:
One jar or cut-comb of which may be exhibited or pictures can be presented. The other(s) will be used for physico-chemical analysis included adulteration and antibiotics analyzes and organoleptic testing. The honey samples will be taken at random for the tests.
5. Shipment of Honey Exibit
All exhibits to be sent to:
CARI asbl
1 Place Croix du Sud bte L7.04.01
Bâtiment Boltzmann (étage +1)
1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium
The completed honey description form must be included with the package.
Particular attention should be paid to the packaging of the samples which must withstand shocks during transport to the laboratory. In case of glass breakage, the participant will be informed and will have to send a new shipment in time under penalty of disqualification.
It is advisable to find out from the official customs service in your country what information should be included on the package (e.g. worthless sample for analysis)
The laboratory will allocate a specific anonymous number to the samples.
6. Entry Fees for the Honey Contest
6.1. Here are the costs for all the categories
6.2. The cost covers all the cost linked to the organization and the analysis fee of the contest.
6.3. After you have completed payment, you will receive by email that you you are register and that you can use “General Information Form WBA-H1” and the “Descriptive Honey Form WBA-H2” which you have to complete before attaching it to the exibition(s) honey(s).
6.3. All entry fees are non-refundable no matter the circumstances.
6.4. The WBA 2022 organising team reserve the right to reduce entries fees for special promotions.
6.5. The fee does not include attendance to the Congress, refreshments and lunch, travel and accommodation costs. A corresponding receipt will be issued for your records.
7. Time Limits - Entering
All the honey samples must be received by the laboratory before 27 May 2022.
When sending by post/courier please allow sufficient time as some packages are checked by customs at the departure of the country or at the entrance of EU (Belgium) and this could cause a delay (2 – 3 weeks for some countries outside of EU).
Take care of the impact of transport on the freshness of the samples. On arrival at the laboratory, the honeys will be kept at 14°C except for liquid honeys which will be kept at room temperature (± 24°C).
8. Awarding of medals
All honeys satisfying the criteria defined for participation in this competition will be issued a certificate indicating "Honey complying the criteria of the Apimondia honey competition".
Three levels of high quality recognition Gold, Silver and Bronze may be awarded.
Gold = Very high quality honey that perfectly meets the criteria for its category. These honeys are the dignified representatives of their class.
Silver = High quality honey that meets the criteria for its category. However, there are some slight imperfections which do not detract from its value.
Bronze = High quality honey that meets the criteria for its category. However, there are some imperfections which do not prevent this honey from standing out as a honey to be highlighted.
The awarding of the levels will be based on the assessments made by the various juries.
There is no limit to the number of medals per class, but as a general rule, 5% receive a gold medal, 10% a silver and 20% a bronze. These percentages are indicative but around 30 to 40 % of honey presented and complying the criteria can receive an award all categories combined.
The medal logo may only be used on the batch of honey corresponding to the award-winning honey.
9. Judging process
The selection process of the honeys will take place in several stages
The jugement of honey will be done for the honey who fullfill the analytical requirements on base of organoleptic tests. Here are the table who will be use for the evaluation of the honeys and honeys with natural added products.
Liquid | Cristallized | |
Visual (colour (specificity for monofloral), homogeneity, cleanliness, no dust on the surface of the honey) | 5 | 4 |
Odour (intensity, specificity(monofloral), originality) | 3 | 2 |
Texture (quality of the cristallization and firmness for cristalized and viscosity for liquid) | 2 | 4 |
Savour (intensity, specificity (monofloral), originality) | 4 | 4 |
Aromas (intensity, specificity (monofloral), originality) | 6 | 6 |
For Cut-comb the evaluation will be based on the next criteria: Visual 9point, Odour 1p., Texture of honey 2p., Savour and aromas of honey 8p.
The jury will come from different countries and cultures.
10. Staging of Exhibits
Pictures of honey presented to the laboratory and that fullfill the analytical test will be exhibited during the Apimondia congress.
Depending on the circumstances, some award-winning honeys may be exhibited.
11. Interpretation of the Regulation
Participation in the competition implies unreserved acceptance of the present rules as well as the decisions taken by the jury. The candidate acknowledges that he/she has read the honey WBA 2022 rules and undertakes to respect them. Any practical difficulty or interpretation of these rules will be settled by Apimondia in its capacity as organiser.
Application Forms has to be filled and accompany the exhibits during delivery or has to be send in advance to Congress Secretariat.
Changes have been made and there are some extra classes. Please read carefully.
All registration must be completed by the date shown.
Entries will not be accepted at the event if they have not been registered first.
Staging of entries will be between 11:00 – 17:00 on 23th August, 2022 and 09:00 – 12:00 on 24th August, 2022. No entries can be accepted after 12:00.
Judging will commence at 13:00.
Entry cost is shown alongside each section.
Multiple Entries
Exhibitors can enter up to 3 entries per class but they can only win one prize.
Individual Classes
These classes are open to all beekeepers both hobby and commercial.
All exhibits must be the bona fide products of the exhibitor’s own apiary.
Main requirements to the exhibiting of bee/honey products are:-
Section A. Mead / Honey Beer / Honey Liqueur Entry fee 50 Euro per exhibit
NB: Classes 1,2,3 and 4 – 500ml or 750ml bottles can be used. Bottles can be either labelled as for sale or unlabelled.
Class 1. Two bottles of sweet mead. Sweet mead has residual sugar level more than 5,1 %.
Class 2. Two bottles of dry or semi sweet mead (less than 5 % of residual sugars).
Class 3. Two bottles of metheglin – (Pyment mead flavoured with spices)
Class 4. Two bottles of melomel – (Mead produced from fruit or fruit juice, other than grape or apple, plus honey, water, acids and nutrients. Includes the addition of certain fruits to aid the fermentation)
NB: If you are required to have all bottles labelled in order to clear security in your country the labels must be removed or covered before exhibits are handed in for staging.
Section B. Beeswax Entry fee 50 Euro per exhibit
Class 5. One beeswax block, between 400g and 600g in weight and at least 25mm thick. To be displayed flat.
Class 6. Three beeswax plain candles (No form of decoration or pattern in the mould). Uniform in size and shape and to be displayed erect. The judge may light one.
Class 7 Three beeswax decorated candles. Made by any method, uniform in size and to be displayed erect. The judge may light one.
NB: For exhibits in classes 1 - 7 the exhibitor is responsible for unpacking and repacking their exhibit. Staging will be done by stewards.
Commercial Classes
These are specially created and designed for bee product producers, traders and packers and other apicultural sector representatives from all over the world for whom beekeeping is the principal business.
All exhibits should be commercially available and correctly labelled as for sale.
Beside the general quality of the bee products, the attractiveness of the labels and packaging materials will be taken into consideration by the judges.
The Display Classes will be judged not only on the product quality but also on the aesthetical attractiveness of the overall presentation. Any moving parts of the display must be battery operated. Use of electricity is not allowed. Display area must not exceed 600mm x 600mm for bench display
Section C Mead / Honey Beer / Honey Liqueur Entry fee 75 Euro per exhibit
NB: Classes 8, 9, 10 and 11 – 500ml or 750ml bottles can be used.
Class 8. Two bottles of sweet mead – labelled and presented as for sale. Sweet mead has residual sugar level more than 5,1 %.
Class 9. Two bottles of dry or semi sweet mead – labelled and presented as for sale (less than 5 % of residual sugars).
Class 10 Two bottles of metheglin –labelled and presented as for sale. (Pyment mead flavoured with spices)
Class 11. Two bottles of melomel –labelled and presented as for sale. (Mead produced from fruit or fruit juice, other than grape or apple, plus honey, water, acids and nutrients. Includes the addition of certain fruits to aid the fermentation)
Class 12. Two bottles of honey beer, minimum 330ml, labelled and presented as for sale.
Class 13. Two bottles of honey liqueur or spirit (distilled drinks with containing more than 15 % of alcohol), minimum 330ml, labelled and presented as for sale.
Section D. Cosmetics Entry fee 75 Euro per exhibit
Class 14. Lotion/Hand Cream, containing honey and/or beeswax – three individual jars/containers, labelled and presented as for sale. Ingredients must be shown on the label.
Class 15 Soap, containing honey and/or beeswax – three individual bars, labelled and presented as for sale. Ingredients must be shown on the label.
Section E. Displays
Class 16. Decorative display of bee products – any size or shape of jar and decorations may be used. All products (honey and/or mead and/or beeswax candles) must be labelled and presented as for sale. Display area must not exceed 600mm x 600mm for bench display. Entry fee 75 Euro per exhibit
Class 17. Honey for sale display – any size or shape of jar may be used. Honey must be labelled and presented as for sale. Display area must not exceed 600mm x 600mm for bench display. Entry fee 75 Euro per exhibit
NB: Classes 17 and 18. Exhibitors are responsible for unpacking, staging and repacking their exhibits. All moving parts must be battery operated. Use of electricity is not allowed.
Apimondia Classes
Classes for Apimondia contests are specially created and designed for all people for whom apiculture is an academic field, a professional occupation or a hobby beyond the apiary business itself.
All exhibits must constitute the exclusive or shared intellectual property of the exhibitor. The subject must be related to bees or beekeeping.
Besides the quality of the exhibits, the general attractiveness, overall presentation and genuine innovativeness will be taken into account by the judges.
Section F. Photograph with a beekeeping theme. Entry fee 50 Euro per exhibit
Class 18. One printed photograph at A4 size, without any frame or additional decoration.
Section G. Printed Materials Entry fee 50 Euro per exhibit
Publications (journals, books) on beekeeping topics. They can be in any language but a brief description (50–300 words) of the exhibit in English is required.
Class 19. Beekeeping Book which is wholly or mainly scientific related. First published or updated in 2019 or later.
Class 20. Beekeeping Book with a general interest to all beekeepers. First published or updated in 2019 or later.
Class 21. Beekeeping Book suitable for children aged up to 16 years. First published or updated in 2019 or later.
Class 22. Three different issues of a journal/magazine which is relating to science and general beekeeping. Issues to have been published in 2021 - 2022. (One journal/magazine per issue)
Class 23. Album – on a beekeeping topic. (An album is defined as a book in which a collection of autographs, photographs, postage stamps, etc. can be kept.) (It must not have been exhibited at any earlier Apimondia Congress)
Class 24. Poster – theme:- ‘Bees Unite The World’. Up to and including A3 size. (A Poster is defined as ‘a large sheet of paper announcing or advertising something’. All the information to be contained on one sheet of paper.)
Section H. Innovations/Inventions Entry fee 50 Euro per exhibit
Class 25. Innovation/Invention. (Innovation – a detailed illustration description or prototype must be presented. (Innovation is defined as ‘to introduce a new process or way of doing things’). Information on dimensions is required with the entry.) (Invention – a working prototype must be presented. (Invention is defined as a unique or novel device) Information on dimensions is required with the entry.)
(It must not have been exhibited at any earlier Apimondia Congress)
Section J.
Trade Stand Class Entry fee - free
Class 26. All trade stands will be judged on their display/information presented/general appearance.
There are 3 categories according standard booth sizes.
Class 26a Booth size 9m2
Class 26b Booth size 18.2
Class 26c Booth size more than 36m2
For this class, the stands will be judged by a jury composed of one judge chosen by Apimondia, one chosen by the Local Organising Committee and one by the WBA Director.