# Selling Honey In Michigan



## spencer (Dec 7, 2004)

Just a quick question for all you Michigan beekeepers. I'm planning on selling some of my honey out of my house and was wondering if the jars needed to be labeled?


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## ScadsOBees (Oct 2, 2003)

Hi Spencer,

From this post that you already may have seen.....
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212623

http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125--169336--,00.html
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDA_FOODDIGwinter01_6357_7.pdf


I don't know if these help much for labelling. I think that standard labelling requirements till apply, some contact information, ingredients (honey!!) and weight. 

Rick


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## Frazier (Jul 28, 2007)

I m a health inspector at the county level, but I can do some checking and see what all needs to be done.


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## Frazier (Jul 28, 2007)

Just a little heads, up my MDA rep is in the UP so I wont be able to get an answer until middle of next week. Sorry for the hold up.


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

Wish I could remember that one!! My buddy just told me about that recently!

Seems like the gloves are pretty well off when you sell from home. No extraction room needed nor labeling requirements if I remember right. But my memory ain't what it used to bee. 

I do remember that if you sell outside the home, extraction room certification and labeling is required.

I'll be talking to her in a while, I'll ask!


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

Well, she doesn't know about the requirement for home sale. But she was inspected at the farmers market this past week and her labels passed there.

Name, Phone, Weight and type i.e. "Raw Honey". No address.

I can't imagine more would be needed for home sale.....


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## Budster (Mar 24, 2006)

How much honey you selling? If I bought tomatoes off of you, and you sold, maybe 12 dozen a week, you'd be a hobiest. (Just selling a few extras). Now, on the otherhand, if you sold 200 dozen a day, I'd expect to see you inspected by the health/agriculture department once in awhile. I would think honey is the same way. Hey, if I were to buy honey, tomatoes, sweet corn, milk, etc from the producer/farmer, I'd expect and know I was getting the best they have to offer. I buy sweet corn from a local guy who grows it... I dont know or could careless if he's inspected or not. Same with honey! The closer you get to the source, the better you can be assured its the best. Who cares if its labeled. YOU know where it came from. I would guess that some of the best honey there is is not labeled!! "My honey has no label"... ;-)

Want to buy some tomatoes? (No label) or some sweet corn? (No label). I'll guarantee it will be good...


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## spencer (Dec 7, 2004)

I don't have alot to sell (maybe 100 lbs. or so) plus I live in a subdivision so there isn't alot of traffic. I was thinking of placing an ad in the classifieds of our local newspaper, so I wasn't sure if I needed the labels or not.


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## [email protected] (Sep 23, 2006)

budster,

Careful with that train of thought. While it sounds reasonable it can get you in trouble when you break the rules. Hopefully they'll just tell you to stop and that's the end of it, get a bad person on a bad day and they could make life painfull. 

The point of the rules is to try and protect public health through avoiding exposure to poorly handled and prepared foods. Vegetables are frequently cooked, or at least hopefully washed. Most people know not to eat rotten bits. Let's go to the other end of the spectrum. What if I produced a little extra milk each day. It would be neat if I could sell it to friends and family, or passers by. Milk is a great environment for growing bacteria, and a perfect carrier for many illnesses. It's hard to tell if the milk was handled correctly, if the animals are healthy, etc. Michigan bans the farm sale of any kind of milk.

Another example. Here you can sell and mix tea without any health dept inspection. Tea leaves are poured into water above 160f so they are pasturized by their use. To mix and sell spices on the other hand you need inspections. They are can be used raw. That's the train of thought anyways.

Honey is kind of in between the two. It's eaten raw, yet it's not a great medium for bacterial growth. So make sure you know what's allowed where, it can vary by county too.


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## Frazier (Jul 28, 2007)

Andrew is right. Anytime you sell *FOOD* to the public you need a license in michigan. It makes no difference if you are only selling a "few things". Now there a few exemptions, for example if it is pre bagged cookie or candy bars you wouldn’t need one. And that is bc the product has been through proper packaging ( I hope ).

Andrew is also right in that every state is going to be a little different. You really should contact your local department of Ag person if you have any questions.


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## Frazier (Jul 28, 2007)

Ok I just talked to MDA and the only time you can sell honey with out a license is when you sell comb honey. The containers still have to be marked with your name and phone number and have a lot number. I hope this helps.


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## spencer (Dec 7, 2004)

Well I guess it's no wonder why this hobby is dying. We are left with all of this extra honey and we can't even give it away unless we build a honey house. Very dumb! But I guess that's goverment for ya!!


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## Frazier (Jul 28, 2007)

Its hard for me bc I see both sides of this everyday. I m just presenting some information for the bee keeper here in Mich. I m sure you could set up on the side of the road today and every other day and never have an MDA inspector stop and talk to you. I guess it's better to have a little bit of knowledge than nothing at all.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Spencer,

You may want to look into the specifics further. Building a honey house may not be required and getting state approval may be much easier than it seems. I know Virginia requires a state inspection certification for selling honey, but a dedicated honey house is not required. A few hoops to jump through, but not a major financial investment.

Good luck.



spencer said:


> Well I guess it's no wonder why this hobby is dying. We are left with all of this extra honey and we can't even give it away unless we build a honey house. Very dumb! But I guess that's goverment for ya!!


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

Astro is absolutely right. You need to contact your local inspector before you throw in the towel. 

He is right about the honey house. And I know for a fact what my friend was told about her honey. And contrary to what Frazier said, she was told that as long as she was operating as you are and ONLY selling her honey from her home, that the honey house was not required. And there was no mention of any license. And he was at her home to look at what her plans were. Labeling is required though. Name, phone, weight and product description.

Now, does that mean that Frazier is off his rocker or what?! I kinda doubt it. Why he has different information, could be the difference in interpretation of the regulations or maybe things have changed and either his source or my friends isn't aware of the changes.

It has almost always been my experience in dealing with any kind of matter like this. That taking the time to contact the official responsible for overseeing and enforcement of regulations is a pleasant experience when approached with the right attitude. And they will be willing to help you! On the other hand, dodge them and get caught doing what your not supposed to be doing and you will feel the sting so to speak. Then you put yourself in a position of being a law breaker or someone who disregards regulation in their eyes. And then you spend your time trying to convince them that you aren't the cad they may think you are.

Chances are, they are going to be good people! Give em a buzz


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## [email protected] (Sep 23, 2006)

Bizzybee,

Your location says GA, are your friends in GA or MI? The laws vary by state, and potentially county.


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

MI 

Laws are different here. A little tougher.

Well, I got a few friends here too....


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## Frazier (Jul 28, 2007)

My source would be Jasmine Lincicome at the Michigan department of Agriculture. And I also have a little back ground in that I m a health inspector my self. Now laws are always understood differently from person to person. so as I have stated before call your local Michigan Department of Ag person and ask them what the laws are.


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## carbide (Nov 21, 2004)

According to the FDA, you must have a label on your honey. The label must include the "common" name of the product, ie honey, sourwood honey, tupelo honey, etc.. The label must also state the weight of the product in both oz. or pounds and also in grams or kilograms. The name of the producer and their address or telephone number must also appear on the front label of the honey. This last requirement specifies that this be in letters at least 1/16" tall.

A nutrition label may be applied if you want to but is not necessary if you produce less than 10,000 units per year and have less than 10 full time workers.

Since the honey you are selling is pure honey you do not have to include a list of ingredients on your label unless you add flavoring or some other ingredient.


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