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SC Honey Label Requirements

SC honey label requirements apply to every container of honey sold in South Carolina, small beekeepers included. Produce no more than 400 gallons (4,800 pounds) a year and sell only to end consumers, and you skip the inspected honey house and the state registration. You still file for that exemption with the SC Department of Agriculture (SCDA) and send in your label for review.

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SC honey label requirements: map of the United States with South Carolina highlighted
Honey label

Required on every SC jar of honey

South Carolina's Food and Cosmetic Act puts honey and honey products under all of its labeling requirements, and SCDA checks honey labels against the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.

Example South Carolina honey label for a 24 ounce jar of wildflower honey with the name, net weight in ounces, pounds and grams, and the beekeeper's business name and street address
  1. 1
    The name "honey"S.C. Code § 39-25-20(t)
    State law defines honey as the raw food product produced by honeybees for human consumption. Pure honey goes on the label as "Honey", or with a true floral source, like "Wildflower Honey".
  2. 2
    Net weight21 CFR 101.7
    In ounces and grams, by weight. A 24 ounce jar reads "NET WT 24 OZ (1 LB 8 OZ) 680 g".
  3. 3
    Business name and address21 CFR 101.5
    The producer, packer or distributor, with street address, city, state and ZIP code.
  4. 4
    Ingredients, for honey products21 CFR 101.4
    Pure honey needs no ingredient list. Cinnamon honey, hot honey and other honey products list every ingredient, heaviest first.
  5. 5
    A sample label for SCDASCDA CPD Form #462
    Send a copy of your label with the exemption application, as a PDF if you email it. The form has a box where SCDA marks your label reviewed and in compliance.
  6. Selling to shops ends the exemptionWatch outHoney sold wholesale to other retail outlets for resale must be processed and packaged in an inspected and registered food processing facility, no matter how little honey you produce.
South Carolina at a glance

The SC beekeeper exemption at a glance

Yearly limit400 gallonsThat's 4,800 pounds of honey produced a year.S.C. Code § 39-25-20(t)
Who you sell toEnd consumersOnly direct to the people who eat it, like your customers at a farmers market or your farm stand.
What you skipInspectionsNo inspected food processing establishment for extracting and packing, and no Registration Verification Certificate (RVC).
PaperworkOne formFile SCDA's Application for Honey Exemption with your sample label. If you outgrow the exemption, you apply for an RVC.
Honey cookies, candy or granola from your kitchenDifferent lawThose fall under South Carolina's home-based food production law. The label needs your name and address (or an ID number from the department), the product name, ingredients by weight, and this statement in all capital letters in a contrasting color: "PROCESSED AND PREPARED BY A HOME-BASED FOOD PRODUCTION OPERATION THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO SOUTH CAROLINA'S FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS." You may sell direct, online or by mail order (delivered only in South Carolina) and to retail stores, which post a sign that home-based foods are not subject to commercial food regulations.S.C. Code § 44-1-143Cottage Food Label Requirements →
Registered honey housesFor wholesaleWant your honey on store shelves? Register with SCDA and get an RVC. Your honey is then processed and packaged in an inspected, registered facility, and the same label rules apply.
The federal side of your honey labelFDA covers floral source names, honey blends and the optional † footnote for added sugars on pure honey. Our Nutrition Facts panels print the standard "Includes Xg Added Sugars" line, which is also correct for honey.Honey Labeling Requirements (FDA) →
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Questions

South Carolina label questions

Not if you produce no more than 400 gallons a year and sell only to end consumers. File the honey exemption with SCDA instead. Bigger producers and anyone selling to stores need a Registration Verification Certificate.

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