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Connecticut Honey Label Requirements

Connecticut honey label requirements come from the Department of Agriculture, not the cottage food law. Every packaged jar needs the common name, your name and business address, and the net contents in both English and metric units, like "9 oz (255 g)". Small beekeepers need no license; once honey sales pass $25,000 a year, you register and pay $50 annually.

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Connecticut honey label requirements: map of the United States with Connecticut highlighted
Honey label

Required on every packaged Connecticut honey jar

Section 22-54u-3 of the state's honey and maple syrup regulation. It applies to every producer, licensed or not, and adopts the federal label rules in 21 CFR Part 101.

Example label for a jar of Connecticut wildflower honey with the net contents in ounces and grams and the producer's name and business address
  1. 1
    Common or usual nameRCSA 22-54u-3(c)(1)
    "Honey", or a truthful floral source like "Wildflower Honey".
  2. 2
    Declaration of responsibilityRCSA 22-54u-3(c)(2)
    The name of the producer, manufacturer or packer, with the business address. Connecticut lets you leave off the address if it can be found in a telephone directory or by an internet search.
  3. 3
    Net contents in English and metricRCSA 22-54u-3(c)(3)
    Both values are required. The regulation's own example: "1 oz. (28 grams)".
  4. 4
    Refrigeration statement, if appropriateRCSA 22-54u-3(c)(4)
    "Keep Refrigerated" or "Keep Refrigerated after Opening" when the product needs it for safety or quality.
  5. 5
    The rest of the federal rulesRCSA 22-54u-3(c)
    Because the state rule adopts 21 CFR Part 101, honey blends, floral source names and Nutrition Facts (unless you're exempt) follow FDA.
  6. Optional: print your USDA gradeAllowedYou may state that your honey meets a USDA standard for grade and color. The regulation's example is the maple grade "U.S. Grade-A Amber"; the same option covers honey. Only claim a grade your honey really meets.
Connecticut at a glance

License, fee and inspections

License needed above$25,000In annual gross revenue from honey or maple syrup sales. Register every year through the Department of Agriculture's E-License Portal.RCSA 22-54u-2
License fee$50Non-refundable, every year. Licenses expire December 31 and lapse if they are not renewed within 60 days.
At or under $25,000ExemptNo license. You may file a voluntary declaration with the department, but it doesn't bind the department's view on whether you need a license.
InspectionsNot your homeThe department may inspect the places where licensed producers extract and pack, never a private residence. Exempt producers are only inspected after a complaint.RCSA 22-54u-5
Honey is not a Connecticut cottage foodOwn rulesPublic Act 19-18 took honey and maple syrup out of the cottage food definition and moved Connecticut-produced honey from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Agriculture. Honey with added ingredients did not move: contact the Department of Consumer Protection before you sell flavored or infused honey.
Packing at home with a license?A licensed producer who processes, packs or holds honey in a private residence must use a room separate from the living quarters, with its own outside entrance, and follow the FDA good manufacturing practices in 21 CFR Part 117.RCSA 22-54u-3(a), (b)
Same rules for maple syrupConnecticut maple syrup producers share this regulation: the same $25,000 threshold, the same $50 license and the same label items.Maple Syrup Label Requirements →
The federal side of every honey jarNaming, blends and the optional † footnote for added sugars on pure honey are FDA rules. Our Nutrition Facts panels print the standard "Includes Xg Added Sugars" line, which is also correct for pure honey.Honey Labeling Requirements (FDA) →
Sources

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Questions

Connecticut label questions

Only when your honey or maple syrup sales pass $25,000 in gross revenue a year. Then you register annually with the Department of Agriculture and pay a $50 fee. Below that you're exempt from licensing.

Related pages

LAWConnecticut Cottage Food LawQUIZDo I Need a Nutrition Label?GUIDEHoney Labeling Requirements (FDA)PRODUCTCustom Honey LabelPRODUCTMaple Syrup Label DesignBY STATENew York State Food Labeling RequirementsGUIDEFDA Food Labeling RequirementsLABEL MAKERNutrition Label Maker

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