BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                        SENATE FOOD and AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE
                            Senator Dean Florez, Chairman

          BILL NO:    AB 1216                   HEARING:  7/7/09
          AUTHOR:   Evans                       FISCAL:  Yes
          VERSION:  6/30/09                     CONSULTANT:  John Chandler
          
                                       Honey.

          BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

          Current law specified definition of honey is the nectar of  
          floral exudations of plants gathered and stored in the comb of  
          honeybees that contains not more that 20 percent water, not more  
          than 25 one hundredths of 1 percent of ash, not more than 8  
          percent sucrose, a specific gravity not less than 1,412, and  
          weight not less than 11 pounds, 12 ounces per gallon of 231  
          cubic inches at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

          Established in 1972, the Apiary Board is charged with advising  
          CDFA on all matters relating to the beekeeping industry, making  
          recommendations, and annually reviewing CDFA's apiary programs.   
          The board consists of five members from the beekeeping industry  
          appointed by CDFA and one public member.  

          PROPOSED LAW

          AB 1216 does the following:

                 Changes the definition of "honey" to a natural sweet  
               substance produced by honeybees from nectar of plants from  
               secretions of living parts of plants, which they transform  
               by combining with specific substances of their own,  
               deposit, dehydrate, store, and leave in the honeycomb to  
               ripen and mature.

                 Establishes the definition for "blossom honey" or  
               "nectar honey" as honey coming from nectar of plants and  
               "honeydew honey" as honey coming from excretions of plant  
               sucking insects on living plant parts or secretions of  
               living plants

                 Specifies that blossom honey shall not have any  
               additives other than honey.

                 Specifies that honey color can be nearly colorless to  
               dark brown with a consistency that can be fluid, viscous,  
               or partially or completely crystallized.





          AB 1216 - Page 2


                 Establishes honey standards for moisture content, sugar  
               content, water insoluble solids content, and processing. 


          COMMENTS

          1.Proponents state that AB 1216 will protect the standard of  
            identity for honey to protect honey consumers, honey packers,  
            and honey producers from false, deceptive, and misleading  
            product labeling.  AB 1216 seeks to provide a standard of  
            identity of honey based on the Revised Codex Standard for  
            Honey, which defines honey and establishes rules on essential  
            composition and quality.  Deceptively labeled and misbranded  
            honey products or adulteration of honey with other sweeteners  
            or compounds is a growing problem in the honey industry.  Such  
            products in the honey market adversely affect honey prices and  
            present the consumer with a false product that is not real  
            honey.  AB 1216 standards attempt to clarify the definition of  
            honey.

          PRIOR ACTIONS

          Assembly Floor 77-0
          Assembly Appropriations16-0
          Assembly Agriculture  8-0

          SUPPORT
          
          California State Beekeepers Association

          OPPOSITION
          
          None received