Honey is Money: The Rules for Selling Honey Online
Honey has grown into a hot commodity as people realize its benefits: it’s delicious, it’s nutritious, and it doesn’t go bad! If you’re a beekeeper with some honey, there are people shopping online willing to take it off your hands. However, selling honey on the internet requires proper steps to make sure you’re following FDA, USDA, and state regulations. You’ll need to register honey with the FDA and your local and state health departments if you’re selling honey online or wholesale.
USDA Regulations
The USDA has guidelines that sellers must follow for its Honey CID, or Honey Commercial Item Description. This covers “honey, packed in commercially acceptable containers, suitable for use and under inspection or surveillance by federal, state, local governments, and other interested parties.” These guidelines include:
- “Type(s), source(s), floral source(s), preparation(s), color(s), grade(s), and agricultural practice(s) of the honey desired
- Analytical and authenticity tests to be performed
- When analytical requirements are different than specified
- When compliance with analytical requirements must be verified
- When emerging analytical methods for economic adulteration are to be performed
- When analytical testing for residues are to be performed
- Manufacturer’s/distributor’s certification or USDA certification”
FDA Regulations
To sell honey anywhere, your honey must comply with FDA regulations, which includes labeling your honey correctly.
First, your label needs to have the “common” name of the product—in this case, your label must have the word “honey” on it. If a plant or blossom is the primary honey source, you can include that (i.e. Clover honey).
Second, the label must include the net weight of the honey, not including packaging. It should be displayed in the lower third of your front label in a font that’s easy to read and should include the weight in pounds/ounces and grams. If you need to convert the weight from grams to pounds, you can round the number, but it should be no longer than three digits after the decimal point.
Third, the label needs to include the ingredients used. Because honey is made with a single ingredient and the common name is already identified on the label, it doesn’t need to be named again. But if there’s additional ingredients, not including spices, flavorings, and incidental additives, they should be listed.
Fourth, if imported, honey labeling must include the country of origin.
Fifth, the contact information of the distributor, such as the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, must be listed on the front label panel or information panel.
State Regulations
Selling honey online differs from state to state. Cottage food laws affect how cottage food, such as jams and baked goods, made in home kitchens are sold through venues. These laws can regulate if you can sell your food to individuals or businesses and if you can sell your food online or to people in other states. New Jersey and Hawaii are the only states that don’t allow for the sale of cottage foods.
For example, in Florida, you can advertise and accept payments online for your honey product, but you cannot ship the item through the mail—you must deliver the product directly to the customer or meet at a farmer’s market to deliver it to them.
Here is a list of links to state-specific honey selling.
If you’re selling your goods online, make sure you’re complying with all the regulations or you’ll get into a sticky mess!