BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 1216|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 1216
Author: Evans (D)
Amended: 7/13/09 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE : 3-1, 7/7/09
AYES: Florez, Maldonado, Hancock
NOES: Hollingsworth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Pavley
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 5/21/09 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : Honey
SOURCE : California State Beekeepers Association
DIGEST : This bill changes the definition of honey for
labeling purposes in order to conform to new standards.
ANALYSIS : 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 one
percent of ash, not more than eight 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.
CONTINUED
AB 1216
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Established in 1972, the Apiary Board is charged with
advising the Department of Food and Agriculture (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.
This bill:
1. Changes the definition of "honey" to mean 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.
2. 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.
3. Specifies that blossom honey shall not have any
additives other than honey.
4. Specifies that honey color can be nearly colorless to
dark brown with a consistency that can be fluid,
viscous, or partially or completely crystallized.
5. Establishes honey standards for moisture content, sugar
content, water insoluble solids content, and processing.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/18/09)
California State Beekeepers Association (source)
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Proponents state that this bill
AB 1216
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will protect the standard of identity for honey to protect
honey consumers, honey packers, and honey producers from
false, deceptive, and misleading product labeling. This
bill 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. This bill is intended to clarify the definition of
honey for these purposes.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu,
Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel
Perez, Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner,
Smyth, Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson,
Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fuentes, Nava, Saldana
TSM:mw 8/18/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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