HF 5147

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 04/12/2024 12:10am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; specifying certain requirements for the labeling of food
consisting of honey and another sweetener; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022,
section 31.74.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 31.74, is amended to read:

31.74 deleted text begin SALE OF IMITATION deleted text end HONEY.

Subdivision 1.

Honey defined.

As used in this section "honey" means the nectar and
saccharine exudation of plants, gathered, modified and stored in the comb by honey bees,
which is levorotatory, contains not more than 25 percent of water, not more than 25/100
percent of ash, and not more than eight percent sucrose.

Subd. 2.

Prohibited sale.

Notwithstanding any law or rule to the contrary, it is unlawful
for any person to sell or offer for sale any product which is in semblance of honey and which
is labeled, advertised, or otherwise represented to be honey, if it is not honey. The word
"imitation" shall not be used in the name of a product which is in semblance of honey
whether or not it contains any honey. The label for a product which is not in semblance of
honey and which contains honey may include the word "honey" in the name of the product
and the relative position of the word "honey" in the product name, and in the list of
ingredients, when required, shall be determined by its prominence as an ingredient in the
product.

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Food consisting of honey and another sweetener. new text end

new text begin Consistent with the federal
act, the federal regulations incorporated under section 31.101, subdivision 7, and the
prohibition against misbranding in sections 31.02 and 34A.03, the label for a food in
semblance of honey and consisting of honey and another sweetener must include but is not
limited to the following elements:
new text end

new text begin (1) a statement of identity that accurately identifies or describes the nature of the food
or its characterizing properties or ingredients; and
new text end

new text begin (2) the common or usual name of each ingredient in the ingredient statement, in
descending order of predominance by weight.
new text end