Photos of impostor honey being sold in HEB

[Jeffrey Todd]

As a follow-up to an earlier post regarding the selling of a product that masquerades as honey, I have posted a couple of pics:
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...9/DSCN3656.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...9/DSCN3658.jpg

The color, packaging, placement, and label all suggest to the consumer that they are buying honey. What comes to mind when you see the words, "Texas Honey Blend?" I think of honey, honey that is made in Texas, and is a blend of different honeys. Never would it cross the mind of the layman that what he is actually purchasing is corn syrup and sugar - see the second picture.
Ross, do you think this falls outside the statutes of Texas law? If you have a link to those sections, let me know and I will forward applicable info to HEB and the Attorney General.

[cphilip]

Seeing as how they are using a PO box then someone must sort of suspect they know what they are doing is either illegal or unethical. Now... when one does a little cyber sleuthing... one finds in the same area of Texas this:

Kelley N Honey Bee Co
FM 906 W, Paris, TX
903-732-4540

Which just happens to be 16 miles from the Post Office. According to map quest.

But... there is a phone number... and someone in the Kelly family is or knows who is doing this.

I think a call is in order?

[Ross]

Is the word Honey larger than the word Blend?

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/ag.toc.htm
§ 131.081. USE OF "HONEY" ON LABEL. A person may not
label, sell, or keep, offer, or expose for sale a product identified
on its label as "honey," "liquid or extracted honey," "strained
honey," or "pure honey" unless the product consists exclusively of
pure honey.

Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 1884, ch. 350, § 1, eff. Sept.
1, 1983.


§ 131.082. USE OF BEE, HIVE, OR COMB DESIGN. A person may
not label, sell, or keep, expose, or offer for sale a product that
resembles honey and that has on its label a picture or drawing of a
bee, hive, or comb unless the product consists exclusively of pure
honey.

Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 1884, ch. 350, § 1, eff. Sept.
1, 1983.


§ 131.083. SALE OF IMITATION HONEY. A person may not
label, sell, or keep, expose, or offer for sale a product that
resembles honey and is identified on its label as "imitation
honey."

Added by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 1884, ch. 350, § 1, eff. Sept.
1, 1983.


§ 131.084. SALE OF HONEY MIXTURES. (a) A person may not
label, sell, or keep, expose, or offer for sale a product that
consists of honey mixed with another ingredient unless:
(1) the product bears a label with a list of
ingredients; and
(2) "honey" appears in the list of ingredients in the
same size type of print as the other ingredients.
(b) A person may not label, sell, or keep, expose, or offer
for sale a product that contains honey mixed with another
ingredient and contains in the product name "honey" in a larger size
of type or print or in a more prominent position than the other
words in the product name.

[Alex Cantacuzene]

Hopefully there is not more to that story. I recall reading some time ago that the Australians were baffled by a sudden increase in honey imports. The story claims that they found the imports in a warehouse near the docks with the barrels being relabled as "Product of Australia" with reloading destination to the US. Actual origin of the honey is claimed to be China. Now the Chinese have similar problems with Varroa etc. but seem to have different chemical approaches against these difficulties. I don't remember the particular chemical that they are claimed to be using but I remember the article saying that this honey with a saturation of it and a certain volume of consumption by a person of that honey can simulate cancer. I think there is a whole lot more lurking in the backgrounds and caution is advisable. I advise people to only buy local honey from the bee-keeper. It might even help with their allergies. Take care and have fun

[cphilip]

I believe that it does indeed violate this:

"...or in a more prominent position than the other
words in the product name."

Since its on the front label and the only other words are "Texas" and "Blend" with the bold word "Honey" dead center of those... I believe it should be argued that it is in a more prominent position than other words in the product name... plus I think its arguable that the other two words are non descriptive of its fact that its not pure honey. And not only that they are deceptive of that fact.

[size="1"][ June 23, 2006, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: cphilip ][/size]

[Jim Fischer]

The packaging alone (the bear) is deceptive enough to be the
basis for a complaint. Note that the use of the term "Texas Honey
Blend" may be some sort of weasel-wording that allows them
to sell such a product, but the container is clearly intended to
"hide" among pure honey packages.

On the other hand, Texas is where a perfectly good dish like
Wienerschnitzel somehow became "Chicken Fried Steak", so
there is no telling if this mix of muck is what Texans might
prefer to "the real thing". [img]smile.gif[/img]

[snoopybee]

on the other hand, we might just call it a breaded veal cutlet- but where is the imagination in that

[Ross]

Chicken Fried steak is not Wienerschitzel. It has no wieners in it [img]smile.gif[/img] . Don't come down here with that attitude and expect to get fed...

[Keith Benson]

The letter may be the same height - but they are wider. It si subtle, but it is there.

Keith

[FordGuy]

sounds like them folks stirred up a bees nest...