# Walmart's Certified Organic Honey



## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

All,
Wallymart is selling a "USDA Organic" honey as shown on their website https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Organic-Raw-Honey-16-oz/51881464. 
I thought USDA did not certify honey as organic. I feel like reporting them.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

ericweller said:


> I thought USDA did not certify honey as organic. I feel like reporting them.


It's from Brazil.


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## Vectorjet (Feb 20, 2015)

jwcarlson said:


> It's from Brazil.


 They are still claiming it to be USDA certified organic.


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## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

ericweller said:


> I thought USDA did not certify honey as organic.


I thought they did.



> Aquaculture, Honey, Mushrooms, and Pet Food
> 
> The National Organic Program in the process of developing practice standards in these areas. Specific labeling guidance will be detailed after these standards are implemented. Honey, mushrooms, and pet food may be certified to the current production and handling standards.


Source: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/labeling

While they are working on new standards based on honey, if you currently follow "current production and handling standards" you can be USDA certified organic. 

The National Honey Board appears to indicate that honey can be USDA certified organic: https://www.honey.com/honey-industr...honey-labeling/organic-labeling-requirements/

That's not getting into the argument of whether the standards of certifying tomatoes and honey as organic should be the same or not, but still, I don't think Walmart's labeling is incorrect.


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## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

jwcarlson said:


> It's from Brazil.


Even better! I doubt the USDA sends its agents to Brazil to verify the "organic" claim.


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

ericweller said:


> *I thought USDA did not certify honey as organic.* I feel like reporting them.


The USDA itself does not [generally] do the certification. The USDA relies on "USDA-*Accredited* Certifying Agents".

Anyone [with the money] can pay the USDA to become an 'accredited' certifying agent. Information (including pertinence to foreign countries) on how to go about it here:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/faq-becoming-certifying-agent



> The average cost for an onsite assessment of a foreign ACA was $24,082.


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

BadBeeKeeper said:


> The USDA itself does not [generally] do the certification. The USDA relies on "USDA-*Accredited* Certifying Agents".
> 
> Anyone [with the money] can pay the USDA to become an 'accredited' certifying agent. Information (including pertinence to foreign countries) on how to go about it here:
> 
> https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/faq-becoming-certifying-agent


Ask Walmart to produce the name of the Certifying Agent and a copy of the Certification from the USDA and ask the same questions of the USDA. Dollars to doughnuts they can't come up with it.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

When Sam Walton was still alive I believe they had an America first policy as long as the product was competitively priced, I guess that passed when Sam did.


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## whiskers (Aug 28, 2011)

Bet ya that Walmart's legal department has been over that label character by character. Read the responses to the questions about filtered vs strained, straight legal boilerplate. If $25K gets them the ability to claim certification it's just lunch money for them.
Bill


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

Eikel said:


> When Sam Walton was still alive I believe they had an America first policy as long as the product was competitively priced, I guess that passed when Sam did.


I thought I remembered that when they moved to this area. Big signs with where they sourced things and how many jobs they were taking credit for creating.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

The Brazilian sourced organic honey is hardly unique to Walmart. I've seen it in a number of grocery chains under various labels. My understanding is quite a bit of Brazilian honey qualifies, whether the amount imported matches up pound for pound with the stuff on the shelf is anyones guess.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Not sure what organic means. Can organic harbor American foul broods too? I'll stick with local for
now. Thanks you!


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## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

beepro said:


> Not sure what organic means. Can organic harbor American foul broods too?


Who cares? Foulbrood doesn't affect people, and you aren't feeding it to your bees. That's a whacky thing to toss into the discussion.


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## jooky (Mar 18, 2016)

USDA will cert anything for enough money


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