A legitimate question that comes up regularly: where do Famille Michaud Apiculteurs honeys come from? Online comments, the May 2024 UFC-Que Choisir investigation and the press articles that followed have raised doubts. This article gives simple, factual answers: what we sell, how it’s controlled, what the law says, and where the investigation stands today.
Key points in 30 seconds
Famille Michaud Apiculteurs sells honeys of varied origins depending on the brand. Everything is labeled in compliance with European regulations. Each honey is analysed and controlled in a laboratory to guarantee its regulatory compliance as well as its origin and floral designation. The May 2024 UFC-Que Choisir complaint was dismissed in 2025.
Quality honeys
At Famille Michaud Apiculteurs, a honey’s quality does not depend on its country of origin, but on the care taken in selecting and controlling it. Whether it comes from France or beyond, every honey meets the same level of requirement — from selection with our partner beekeepers through to laboratory analysis, including compliance with French and European regulations.
From France and beyond
Importing honey reflects a structural reality of the French market: France consumes around 45,000 tonnes of honey per year, while national production averages 20,000 tonnes over the last ten years. Importing part of the honey is therefore necessary to meet demand. At Famille Michaud Apiculteurs, we select quality honeys wherever they are available. A few examples: flower honey from France and Ukraine, acacia honey from France and Hungary, thyme and orange-blossom honey from Spain.
Ongoing relationships with our partner beekeepers
We work directly with our partner beekeepers, all across France. A purchasing team of several people is dedicated to French honeys.
Quality controlled in a laboratory
Analysed and controlled with the same level of rigour
Before a honey is jarred and shipped to stores, it goes through a series of checks: physico-chemical analyses (humidity, conductivity, HMF, sugars), pollen analyses (to characterize the floral origin and geographic area), sensory analyses (color, profile, texture). 100% of our honeys are thus analysed and controlled by an expert honey-analysis laboratory, to guarantee their purity (nothing added or removed), their geographic origin, their floral designation and their regulatory compliance.
Read also
Our article Analysis: the only way to guarantee honey quality details the scientific methodology applied to our controls.
Labeling compliant with European regulations
What must appear on our jars
European regulation (Honey Directive 2001/110/EC and its 2024/1438 revision) imposes precise mentions on honey jars: sales designation, country of origin or multi-country mention, best-before date, operator’s name and address, batch number, net weight, and where applicable special mentions (single-flower honey, blossom honey, etc.). We strictly apply this framework.A regulation that is evolving: the new Honey Directive
A major step forward for consumers: the new European Honey Directive comes into force in June 2026. Long awaited, it harmonises labeling rules across the European Union by requiring all countries of origin to be listed in descending order of weight. It puts an end to certain competitive distortions between member states and guarantees a fairer framework for the entire sector. It is a positive signal, positioning honey more than ever as the most transparent product on the breakfast table. At Famille Michaud Apiculteurs, we already strictly apply these principles of transparency.
UFC-Que Choisir investigation: where do things stand today?
In May 2024, UFC-Que Choisir published a survey questioning several honeys on the market, including some of our brands. The press picked it up widely. Here are the dated facts.Going further
FAQ: origin and traceability of Famille Michaud Apiculteurs honeys
Are your honeys 100% French?
All Famille Michaud Apiculteurs brands offer French honeys. A few examples: Lune de Miel® (creamy and liquid flower honey, lavender honey), Beeliz® (creamy and liquid flower honey, and a flower-and-lavender honey blend), Miel l’Apiculteur® (creamy and liquid flower honey, acacia, chestnut, forest, lavender, mountain). Other ranges include honeys of varied origins, always indicated on the label.
How can I know exactly where my jar comes from?
All honeys from Famille Michaud Apiculteurs brands have their origin shown on the jar, in accordance with regulation. The batch number on the jar lets our consumer service trace the jarring history. Don’t hesitate to contact us via our contact page.
How do you guarantee the authenticity of your honeys?
All honeys sold by Famille Michaud Apiculteurs are controlled and analysed in a laboratory to guarantee their authenticity, their floral designation and their origin.