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Walmart's Certified Organic Honey

8.6K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  jooky  
#1 ·
#4 ·
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...try/honey-testing-and-regulations/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.
 
#6 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
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.