Res. No. 1897
Resolution calling upon the New York State legislature to pass and the governor to sign legislation that would define honey and provide standards for honey sold in the State.
By Council Members Levin, Koo, Mendez and Rodriguez
Whereas, New York State ranks 12th in the country in honey production and is the largest beekeeping state in the Northeast; and
Whereas, However, according to the Empire State Honey Producers Association, "honey from other countries comes into the United States with labels calling it 'pure honey' but in fact much of it is not pure with items such as high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup and antibiotics added to it;" and
Whereas, According to Food Safety News, millions of pounds of honey that were banned and determined unsafe in other countries are being imported and sold in the United States; and
Whereas, Specifically, impurities such as lead and chloramphenicol have been found in honey from India and China resulting in the European Union banning honey from these countries; and
Whereas, In 2001, the Federal Trade Commission imposed strict import taxes on the Chinese to stop the influx of altered, harmful honey into the Unites States; and
Whereas, According to reports, to avoid the tariff the Chinese began shipping their honey to other countries, such as India where it was repackaged and then sent to the United States; and
Whereas, In 2010, The Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") seized 64 drums of imported Chinese honey because it contained an antibiotic that could lead to serious illness or death; and
Whereas, However, Food Safety News states that the FDA tests only 5 percent of imported honey; and
Whereas, Advocates believe that the FDA devotes little time and effort to inspecting imported honey because of a lack of interest and resources; and
Whereas, In fact, FDA officials stated that a national purity standard for honey would "tax the abilities of an already overstretched agency;" and
Whereas, In 2011, the Unites States imported 45 million pounds of honey from India, a country known for laundering Chinese honey; and
Whereas, Advocates are in favor of legislation that would impose a "standard of identification to assure the public that the honey we are selling is pure and unadulterated;" and
Whereas, States such as Florida, California, Wisconsin, and North Carolina have already adopted legislation that provides a standard for honey and identified a state agency to enforce the standard; and
Whereas, Establishing honey standards in New York would help protect consumers from being misled and protect local beekeepers and honey producers from mixing, blending and selling inferior products; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State legislature to pass and the governor to sign legislation that would define honey and provide standards for honey sold in the State.
EH/DSH
LS #4734
8/7/13