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Klobuchar Joins Minnesota Honey Producers in Calling for Action to Combat 'Honey Laundering'

Urges FDA to implement a national honey standard

September 1, 2010

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joined Minnesota honey producers, beekeepers, and other honey industry representatives at the Minnesota State Fair’s honey exhibit on Monday to call for an end to the deceptive trade practices used by foreign honey importers that are undermining the U.S. honey industry.  The event highlighted how foreign importers, led by China, are avoiding paying anti-dumping or countervailing subsidy duties by shipping honey products through other nations – a  practice often called “honey laundering” – as well as by importing diluted or mislabeled honey into the United States.   To address these concerns, Klobuchar has sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg urging the establishment of a national standard of identity for honey to ensure the purity of honey imported into the United States and to level the playing field for U.S. honey producers.  At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing in early August, Klobuchar also pressed U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to take action to respond to these unfair trade practices that cost the U.S. Treasury an estimated $200 million annually in lost revenues.

“The unfair practices of foreign honey importers are hurting our domestic honey producers, are undermining the reputation of honey as a safe, wholesome product, and they represent a threat to public health,” Klobuchar said.  “Cracking down on honey laundering and putting in place a national standard would ensure our honey producers can compete on an even playing field and and protect consumers from mislabeled or unsafe products.”

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that federal prosecutors have indicted executives of a German food conglomerate, Alfred L. Wolff GMbH, for allegedly conspiring to illegally import more than $40 million worth of honey from China between 2002 and 2009 and concealing its origin to avoid paying nearly $80 million in anti-dumping duties.

In addition to shipping honey products through other nations to disguise the country of origin, foreign importers often deliberately mislabel pure honey as “sweetener” or “honey blend” in order to avoid payment of relevant anti-dumping duties.  There have been reports of diluted, impure, or chemically tainted sweeteners being repackaged and sold on American store shelves as “pure honey” to consumers who are unaware of the actual content.  U.S. honey production was down 12 percent in 2009 in part due to these practices. A national honey standard would help minimize the potential risk of adulterated honey products being sold as pure honey in the U.S. food supply.

In 2006, the U.S. honey industry submitted a citizen petition to the FDA to implement a national standard of identity for honey in response to these foreign practices. The FDA has not acted on that petition and millions of pounds of Chinese-origin honey continue to flood into the United States after being transshipped through third countries or by being mislabeled as blended syrup, honey syrup, and malt sweetener.

Minnesota was the sixth-largest state producer of honey in the nation in 2009, producing nearly eight million pounds of commercial honey, valued at over $11 million.

The full text of Klobuchar’s letter to FDA Commission Hamburg is below:

August 30, 2010

Dear Commissioner Hamburg:

I write regarding the on-going problem of Chinese honey imports in violation of U.S. food labeling, food safety and trade laws.  Millions of pounds of Chinese-origin honey continues to flood into the United States after being transshipped through third countries or being mis-described as blended syrup, honey syrup and malt sweetener to avoid payment of U.S. antidumping duties.  I urge you take action against such imports by implementing a national standard of identity for honey, which will serve as an essential tool in ensuring the purity and safety of imported honey.

As you may know, there have been reports of foreign importers mislabeling pure honey as “sweetener” or “honey blend” in order to avoid payment of relevant anti-dumping duties.  Even more concerning, I also understand that diluted, impure, or chemically tainted sweeteners have been repackaged and sold off American store shelves as pure “honey” to consumers who are completely unaware of the actual content. 

We should not allow unscrupulous shippers and importers to evade the food labeling and food safety requirements of U.S. law.  Implementation of a national standard of identity for honey will help minimize any potential risk of adulterated honey products being sold as pure honey in the U.S. food chain, and save the United States more than $200 million in anti-dumping duties. 

Many foods have a standard of identity, and I am aware of no reason why honey should be considered differently.  Several states have already created state-wide identity standards for honey, and the U.S. honey industry submitted a citizen petition on March 3, 2006 for FDA to implement a national standard of identity for honey based on the CODEX international standard.  After over four years of inaction, I urge your agency to resolve this issue once and for all.   Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to working with you on this issue.