ShareThisAn industry group is arguing that Chinese businesses are bringing honey into the United States illegally, by lying about the product's origin to bypass expensive import tariffs and fees. It's called "honey laundering."
"This is not something that Winnie the Pooh does to get the stickier stuff off of his clothes," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said at a State Fair event that the Minnesota Honey Producers Association held to call attention to the issue.
Klobuchar estimated the laundering has been going on for nearly a decade, costing the U.S. Treasury up to $200 million a year in revenue. The Chinese businesses, which officials call the biggest culprits, mislabel their products by repackaging them in other countries, even though they're manufactured in China.
The honey producers say the foreign products are often lower quality and sold at low prices, possible in part because of the avoidance of tariffs. That makes it tough for higher-quality honey to compete, producers say.
"This problem is damaging to our already fragile industry," said David Ellingson, past president of the Minnesota Honey Producers Association and owner of a honey business in Odessa, in western Minnesota.
Ellingson estimates that Minnesota's honey and pollination business is a $4 billion industry. And aside from the economic impact, honey producers point out they also raise bees, which assist in pollination of crops and feed.
Klobuchar sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday, urging the agency to create a national definition for honey, which she believes will lead to better regulation. In some cases, the illegally imported honey has been wrongly described as blended syrup, honey syrup and malt sweetener, she said.
Some states, including Florida, California and Wisconsin, have such definitions in place. Klobuchar said honey industry officials sent a citizen petition to the FDA four years ago.
"If they have a national standard for Parmesan cheese and maple syrup, they can establish one for honey," Klobuchar said.
FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey said the agency "is evaluating the petition in line with our other priorities" and pointed out the agency has taken action against adulterated honey.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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