Community Corner

Honey Standards in Maryland

Hobbyists aren’t the only people taking interest in bees and the products they produce. Maryland legislators have expressed interest as well.

Maryland passed a bill outlining honey standards in 2012. The legislation specifies what constitutes honey in the state of Maryland and ensures that any honey sold in the state meets specific standards.

Previously, honey imported into Maryland —- mostly from abroad —- was of questionable quality, with some importers adding high fructose corn syrup or shipping honey produced from bees fed sugar water instead of actual nectar.

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“I—-and my family-—love honey,” said Delegate Kathy Afzali, R-Middletown. “The idea that I was feeding my children what I thought was the healthy alternative when in fact it could be high fructose corn syrup was worrisome.” 

This legislation gives local honey producers a way to level the playing field, Afzali said, by giving producers the opportunity for civil action if they suspect another company is selling or importing compromised honey.

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“In the state of Maryland we mean business,” Afzali said. “If you’re going to call it honey, by god it better be honey.”

 

—Kate Andries, Captial News Sevice


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