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Virginia Honey Label Requirements

Virginia honey label requirements for a home beekeeper come down to one state statement plus the usual jar basics. Print "PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION. WARNING: Do Not Feed Honey to Infants Under One Year Old." on every jar, sell less than 250 gallons a year, and stick to pure honey from your own hives. Do that and you skip the VDACS permit, the inspection and the fee.

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Virginia honey label requirements: map of the United States with Virginia highlighted
Home honey label

Required on every Virginia home honey jar

The statement comes from Virginia Code § 3.2-5130. VDACS adds that the standard food label items still apply on top of it.

Example label for a jar of wildflower honey from a Virginia home beekeeper with net weight, name and address, and the processed and prepared without state inspection statement with the infant warning
  1. 1
    Product nameVDACS home food processing FAQ
    Plain "Honey", or a floral source you can back up, like "Wildflower Honey" or "Clover Honey".
  2. 2
    Net weightVDACS home food processing FAQ
    Honey is sold by weight, so show the net weight, like "NET WT 12 oz (340 g)".Net Weight Labeling Requirements →
  3. 3
    Name and addressVDACS home food processing FAQ
    Who made it and where: your name or farm name with your address.
  4. 4
    Ingredients, only if there are any
    VDACS lists ingredients among the standard items. A jar of pure honey has one ingredient, so its name covers it, and pure honey is all this exemption allows.
  5. 5
    The state statement with the infant warningVa. Code § 3.2-5130(C)(5)
    "PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION. WARNING: Do Not Feed Honey to Infants Under One Year Old." Copy it word for word.
  6. 6
    Nutrition Facts, if you are not exempt21 CFR 101.9(j)
    VDACS calls this "possibly" required, because the federal rules decide. Small sellers can qualify for an FDA small business exemption as long as the label makes no nutrition claims.
  7. Mixing in cinnamon or chili?Not exemptThe honey exemption covers pure honey from your own hives only. VDACS names infused honey, hot honey, honey ice cream and mead as products it does not cover. For those you apply for a permit from the VDACS Food Safety Program.
Virginia at a glance

Sales limit, permit and where you can sell

Sales limitUnder 250 galOf honey a year. VDACS asks exempt beekeepers to keep a running record of sales so it can review them.Va. Code § 3.2-5130(C)(5)
Permit and fee$0Exempt home beekeepers skip the VDACS inspection, the permit and the $40 annual inspection fee that regular food manufacturers pay.
Where you can sellNo limits listedVDACS lists no restrictions on where or how exempt honey is sold. Home baked goods and jams, by contrast, may only go to individuals in Virginia.
What qualifiesYour own hivesPure honey from hives you keep, processed in your own home. No other foods on the side, except those under the other home food exemptions.
Also selling jam or cookies from home?Different statementThose fall under the low-risk home food exemption, with its own label on the front of the package: your name, physical address or PO box and phone number, the date processed, and "NOT FOR RESALE PROCESSED AND PREPARED WITHOUT STATE INSPECTION." They may only be sold to individuals in Virginia, for their own use.Cottage Food Label Requirements →
Growing past 250 gallons?Then you apply for a permit from the VDACS Food Safety Program. Permitted food manufacturers are inspected and pay a $40 annual inspection fee, and the exemption statement no longer applies.
The federal side of every honey jarNaming, floral sources, honey blends and the optional † footnote for added sugars come from FDA, the same in all 50 states. Our Nutrition Facts panels print the standard "Includes Xg Added Sugars" line, which is also correct for pure honey.Honey Labeling Requirements (FDA) →
Sources

Where this comes from

Questions

Virginia label questions

Not if you meet the home honey exemption: pure honey from your own hives, processed in your home, less than 250 gallons sold a year, and every jar labeled with the state statement. Sell more, or sell flavored honey, and you need a VDACS Food Safety Program permit.

Related pages

LAWVirginia Cottage Food LawQUIZDo I Need a Nutrition Label?GUIDEHoney Labeling Requirements (FDA)PRODUCTCustom Honey LabelCOTTAGE FOODCottage Food Label RequirementsBY STATEKentucky Honey Label RequirementsTEMPLATECottage Food Label TemplateLABEL MAKERNutrition Label Maker

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