What is tracking?
How are Organic Products Imported/Exported?
Why are organic products more expensive?
Is apiculture important for nature?
Why does honey crystallize?
What is the difference between honey and honeydew?
What is the difference between dark and pale coloured honey?
What is the difference between mono-flora or multi-flora honey?
How long does honey last?
What is the difference between jam and marmalade?
What are the characteristics of marmalade and how many varieties are available?
What is the minimum quantity of citrus fruit for marmalade?
The quantity is higher for jams – how much fruit can be used?
What is the difference between an ‘extra’ jam and one that isn’t?
Apart from fruit, what else is in jam?
Is Rigoni di Asiago’s Fiordifrutta label a jam?
So, what is Fiordifrutta?
The word pectine is often listed on the ingredients label. What is it?
The Fiordifrutta label says “100% organic” even though both pectine and citric acid are added. Is this correct?
Why do the Fiordifrutta, orange, lemon, citrus fruits and mandarin marmalades contain less fruit compared to the other varieties?
The ingredients totals don’t add up?

What is tracking?
It is an identity label detailing the productive method and origin of a product. When honey is delivered to the processing plant the origins, beekeeping method and floral nature are labeled. A register shows the quantity, origin and number of items produced from each batch.

How are Organic Products Imported/Exported?
Within Europe, imports and exports have to be authorized by the European Commission.

Why are organic products more expensive?
An organic production line must be 100% chemical free. Insecticides, fertilizers and additives aid traditional production but are banned to the organic process. The cost is due to the difficulties in producing in this way using raw materials which are quite rare.
Organic farming is exposed to major risk of crop-failure and requires expert knowledge and increased labour with the prospect of a smaller harvest. To avoid stripping the soil of its nutrients, the crops have to be rotated and land has to rest without being farmed for a given period. To meet EU standards, analysis and certifications act as a guarantee, but are expensive and time-consuming for the farmer.

Is apiculture important for nature?
Yes, because in helps to protect forest and plant-life by pollination.

Why does honey crystallize?
The natural sugars contained in honey vary according to its flora origins, therefore, some types of honey solidify quite quickly and others remain liquid. Cold temperatures favour crystallization which can be corrected by heating bain-marie.

What is the difference between honey and honeydew?
Honey comes from two sources: nectar and dew. Nectar is a sugary substance coming from flowers while dew seeps out of plants & trees, for example when insects damage them. Honey gathered from flowers is generally sweeter, lighter in colour and contains a small amount of pollen. Honeydew is gathered from plants and trees and is rich in minerals and trace elements such as iron, magnesium.

What is the difference between dark and pale coloured honey?
The colour changes according to the source of origin: it ranges from colourless to dark brown, almost black. The darker the honey, the more intense the flavour and mineral properties.

What is the difference between mono-flora or multi-flora honey?
Multi-flora honey comes from hives kept in the same place all year round so that the bees collect their honey from spring and summer flowers. Beekeepers move their hives to limit the collection to one type of flower or plant to create a mono-flora honey.

How long does honey last?
Honey does not have a sell-by date… if it is kept properly it can keep for centuries, but very old honey or over-heating it weakens the enzymes and vitamins. Store at room temperature away from sunlight.

What is the difference between jam and marmalade?
Marmalade originates from the Portoghese “marmelo” a fruit preserve made from citrus fruits, especially bitter oranges. Within the EU, marmalade refers to citrus fruits whilst all other fruits are known as jams or preserves.

What are the characteristics of marmalade and how many varieties are available?
Marmalades are made from a single or combination of citrus fruits and sugar, for example, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines etc.

What is the minimum quantity of citrus fruit for marmalade?
The minimum quantity is 20% containing both pulp and peel which are high in essential oils and fibre.

The quantity is higher for jams – how much fruit can be used?
There must be at least 35% fruit and when it exceeds 44% it becomes ‘extra’ quality jam.

What is the difference between an ‘extra’ jam and one that isn’t?
An ‘extra’ quality jam has at least 45% fruit and can even reach 100%.

Apart from fruit, what else is in jam?
There are different types of sugar (sugar cane, sugar beet, fructose, glucose syrup). Other ingredients include jelling agents, acidity correctors and additives from aromas to wine, nuts, almonds, etc.

Is Rigoni di Asiago’s Fiordifrutta label a jam?
Strictly speaking, Fiordifrutta does not belong to the jam category because in contains 40% sugar – less than the established 45% total sugar level.

So, what is Fiordifrutta?
It is a “fruit preserve without added sugar”. It is a unique, exclusive product, even though our consumers consider it a jam.

The word pectine is often listed on the ingredients label. What is it?
Pectine is a jelling agent; a natural fibre extracted from citrus fruit or apples and added to give jam the right density. It is an approved additive
for organic products. Rigoni di Asiago use it in very small quantities
(less that 0.5%).

The Fiordifrutta label says “100% organic” even though both pectine and citric acid are added. Is this correct?
It is correct because according to CEE legislation the ingredients are the fruit and sugar. Pectine and citric acid are not considered ingredients to be labeled.

Why do the Fiordifrutta, orange, lemon, citrus fruits and mandarin marmalades contain less fruit compared to the other varieties?
These citrus fruits have intense flavours and too many would modify the delicate balance of the product.

The ingredients totals don’t add up?
The label on Fiordifrutta jams shows 65% fruit and 40% total sugar: Overall total : 105% .
The “total sugars” refer to the total amount of sugars contained in the product. Each fruit contains 10% sugar and by using apples to sweeten the product the overall total seems higher, but this is sugar produced from fruit, not refined sugar.