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Author Topic: Honey packaging and sales  (Read 2084 times)

Offline alfred

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Honey packaging and sales
« on: October 22, 2010, 05:02:06 pm »
I am wondering how everyone handles the sale of their honey.

I know that I should probably have a sales tax license and account and collect sales tax. When I have checked around it doesn't seem as though too many folks are doing this.

I am also curious about health safty and packaging law. Don't we need to be using certified kitchen space for extraction and packaging if we are going to sell our honey?

Just trying to find out what the regulations are so that I don't get into trouble....

Offline AllenF

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Re: Honey packaging and sales
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2010, 05:13:04 pm »
We sell out of the house (mostly).   Lots of people wait for our honey.   It is a shame honey comes in after the blueberry season, we could really hit it big.    But we run the honey off the front porch mostly.   My wife sells over half to places I not of.   I just get to see some cash every once in a while.  But the front porch is where a lot of it goes.   Money is left in the box.   Same way we sell the veggies and u-pick blueberries.   

Every state is different with the kitchen laws, but I fall into the home sales.

Offline AliciaH

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Re: Honey packaging and sales
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2010, 05:18:08 pm »
Alfred:  I live in King County, Washington.  Requirements here dictate I do not need a certified kitchen if I am selling products that come straight from the hive.  So honey, wax, I'm good to go.  I just need to make sure the honey is labeled properly.  However, if I change the product in any way, say by infusing the honey with favorings, then I need the certified kitchen.

Offline fish_stix

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Re: Honey packaging and sales
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2010, 06:22:58 pm »
You have sales tax on food items? Wierd! At any rate, every state has their own set of rules concerning packing and selling honey. Call your local health dept and they can probably direct you to the right people. If no help there, call your state dept of agriculture.

Offline AliciaH

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Re: Honey packaging and sales
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2010, 12:36:14 pm »
Alfred, starting with Dept. of Ag is a great suggestion.  Here, products direct from the hive fall under the same jursidiction as home-grown fruits and vegetables that folks sell at famers markets and road side stands.  That's all DoA jurisdiction.  Like I said earlier, no kitchen is needed for that.  Well, at least not here....yet.

When I was first trying to find information though, I started with the County, who is in charge of food service permits and kitchen certifications.  If I'd strictly listened to them, I'd have had to have the full blown kitchen with all the bells and whistles.

Not that that's a bad thing.  Now I know what I'll need if I want to expand to other things.  But totally unecessary for selling raw honey.

Ditto the question about sales tax on food in your area? 

Offline tecumseh

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Re: Honey packaging and sales
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2010, 08:16:47 am »
here in Texas this kind of thing is handled at the state level via a 'food manufacturer' licenses.  here there is no sales tax on food items.  their is a legal loop hole in the food manufacturer law which allow unprocessed product to be sold from the back of your pickup (but not in any retail operation).

recently we have had one major incident of tainted peanuts by a food manufacturer that had NO licenses (<more and more good reason for non regulation I would guess???) and there fore the state is looking a bit closer at a lot of small scale food processors and the way they operate.

regulation required for a food manufacturer license include a commercial type processing area with washable walls, stainless steel equipment and a minimum of three sinks for the various wash up task required.  the food processing area can be attached but can not be a part of the living area of a house.
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