Malaysia Amends Food Regulations to Establish Standards and Labeling Requirements for Kelulut Honey

Malaysia published the Food (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 under P.U. (A) 275 in the Federal Government Gazette, amending the Food Regulations 1985 [P.U. (A) 437/1985] pursuant to Section 34 of the Food Act 1983 [Act 281]. The amendments will enter into force on 1 March 2026.

A key feature of the amendment is the introduction of a new Regulation 130A, which formally defines and regulates kelulut honey (stingless bee honey). Kelulut honey is defined as a natural sweet substance with specific acidity, produced by stingless bees of the Meliponini tribe from plant nectar or secretions of living plant parts, which is transformed by the bees, stored in natural propolis honey pots, and allowed to mature.

Compositional Standards for Kelulut Honey

Under the new regulation, kelulut honey must comply with the following mandatory compositional requirements:

Trehalulose: not less than 6%

Moisture: not more than 22%

Ash: not more than 1.0%

Fructose: not more than 40%

Glucose: not more than 40%

Sucrose: not more than 10%

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF): not more than 80 mg/kg

pH range: 2.5 to 3.8

Labeling Requirement

The amendment mandates that any package containing kelulut honey must clearly bear the words “kelulut honey” on the label, ensuring clear product identification and preventing misleading representations.

Microbiological Standards

The regulations also amend the Fifteenth Schedule to the Food Regulations 1985 by introducing microbiological criteria for kelulut honey. The specified limits are:

Total Plate Count at 37°C for 48 hours: not more than 1 × 10³ per gram

Coliform Count at 37°C for 48 hours: not more than 10 per gram

Escherichia coli: absence required

Regulatory Impact

These amendments establish, for the first time, a clear legal framework governing the identity, composition, labeling, and microbiological quality of kelulut honey in Malaysia. The measures are intended to enhance food safety, product standardization, and consumer confidence, while providing regulatory certainty for producers, importers, and distributors of kelulut honey.

Food business operators placing kelulut honey on the Malaysian market will need to ensure full compliance by 1 March 2026.