grading honey for sale

[stangardener]

my state requires honey to be graded according to u.s. standards for sale. how do folks determine what grade their honey is? i'm just straining my product and would like to call it raw wildflower honey but am not sure the powers that be would be satisfied with that. is there a catch all term that can be used without labeling it substandard? thanks for any comments.

[Ruben]

I don't have a clue, but if that ain't 1st Class Grade A I don't know what would be except for maybe comb honey untouch except by bees.

[notaclue]

Have you talked with your extension office? Who would have jurisdiction over this? Would they consider it a truth in advertising or a health issue?

[Jim Fischer]

The USDA "Grade" of honey is merely a function of color,
and some very minimal handling considerations.

The standards document is here:
http://www.ams.usda.gov/standards/exhoney.pdf

There are several ways to check the color of your honey against
standard colors, but I would not spend a whole lot of money on
any of these devices, and would simply "eyeball" the color issue.

Don't let the state push you around, check with your state
beekeepers association - I betcha that there is an exemption
for small-scale operations that sell directly to the consumer,
and I betcha you meet the criteria for "small-scale".

I once used labels that claimed the honey was "Grade Bee".
A few people laughed, most never noticed.

[trapper_dave]

Here in Wisconsin. The grade system is based on weight per gallon. I would have to look up the rules because I have never actually graded any of my honey. The rules specify that if you grade any of your honey than you have to grade all of it - However, if you do not grade any of your crop, then you are not required to grade anything. It seems like a silly rule but that is how the big boys wrote it up years ago. These rules are a part of the Wisconsin Administrative Code (If I remember correctly) which tells you exactly everything you need to know if you want to survive in Wisconsin - like how old you have to be in order to legally cut your own hair!

Hope you can figure out the rules for your area and get down to the real job of selling your honey!

David