On Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:18:19 -0500, Dave Hamilton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >And this is why we see the front say US Grade A and the back says "product >of Argentina". I actually saw this at Sam's. > US Grade A is also found on non US produce if its inspected and meets USDA requirements. Its a statement of the quality. Honey and maple syrup were the only foods granted an exemption for inspection so the producer or packer makes that determination as to the grade. Your example will be legal under new COOL regulations. But thats the point, all food should have the country of origin noted for consumers. What we are trying to accomplish is exposing the non US honey that is blended with US and previously was not *required* to state the country of origin and the consumer was led to believe it might be a 100% US product. WHen I said the "Product of USA" notation is not enforceable for beekeepers thats different then the USDA ability to enforce COOL labeling for imported honey. Its confusing but appears to be a step in the right direction. Perhaps those who crafted the bill were smart enough to see that putting the onus on the imported honey was the goal, and not to put an additional burden on US honey producers who pack their own honey. I recommend that those who are interested in this topic read the regulation and/or call USDA to get further clarifications and please let me know if I did not get the interpretation right. *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html