Honey House registration

Greg Peck · November 04, 2008, 05:00:10 PM

I was looking into getting my "honey house" registered in order to sell my honey in local retail stores. I was wondering if anyone else has their honey house registered (ideally in Pa). I talked to a food inspector who was not familiar with honey house registration but told me a bunch of food code information and it is amazing how many things would have to be updated to get my area up to code. Things like 4 sinks 1 for washing utensils 1 for rinsing 1 for sanitizing and 1 for hand washing. He sent me a 134 page book on the code. I cant imagine that I would have to be up to food packing plant standards. All kinds of other things would need to be done as well which would eat up honey profits for the next 10 years. Any way I just wondered if honey houses are looked at differently then restaurants and that type of establishment.

BjornBee · November 04, 2008, 05:24:46 PM

Greg,
My honey house is certified.

They have no actual paperwork just tailored to honey facilities. They use the standard restuarant packet, and it can be overwhelming. I read it the first time and they wanted blueprints, fire escape plans (I have one room), and a host of other things. But they just filled out the first page and stamped it.

My inspector, also never had certified a honey house. He got a kick out of watching me uncap, extract, and fill a bottle. He said "Is that it?" They will want to see your operation in action one time, so they can test your wash water, etc.

There are some requirments that you will need to do. Yes, a three bay wash sink, with separate hand wash sink is required. All floors, walls and structures must not be able to retain liquid matter. All items must be 6 inches off the floor. All tables, sinks and other items should be stainless steel. You must have sanitation hair nets, rubber gloves, and the proper wash solutions on hand. Water must be tested (bacteria). And so on.

It sounds like much. But it really is not. Give me a call and I can answer any questions. (Not tonight, I'm speaking at the Maryland bee meeting...TBH's...WHOOOOHOOOOO!)

You can actually have a kitchen registered for food prep if you were only selling yourself at flea markets, your own farm stand, etc. But once you stick your label on a bottle and sell at a third person store...all that stuff above kicks in.

rdy-b · November 05, 2008, 11:14:41 PM

what did you do for the walls (washable surface) and where dose the drain empty-always like to incorporate good ideas-got any pics- 8-) RDY-B

danno · November 06, 2008, 08:55:53 AM

In our case we have interior steel on walls and ceiling and for drains a septic and drain field. No sewer available in the stickers. Some else to think about if your building is high ceilings, 10 or 11 ft. This gets the bee's out of your face all the time while your working

rdy-b · November 06, 2008, 10:31:20 PM

Danno is your building a meatal building-and if so is there a part that is insulated for a hot area to warm suppers -I just added a hot room and used 3 Inch rigid foam -wondering what others are useing 8-) RDY-B

Gena · November 07, 2008, 12:31:04 AM

For a washable surface that will pass inspection, use RFP (reinforced fiberglass panel). It comes in 4x8 sheets and there are inside, outside and joining moulding pieces. It can be put up with liquid nails. If you have to put it up with screws, be careful because it's brittle and you need to use these caps you put the screw thru then snap the cap over the head of the screw. The paneling is used in Wendy's and McDonalds bathrooms - its the white, pebbly stuff. In LA, the drains have to be 'open'- where the drain exits the sink, it must not be closed/tied-in to the drain - there's a gap where you can see the water drain into the graduated (funnel) pipe. Gena

danno · November 07, 2008, 08:40:14 AM

Quote from: rdy-b on November 06, 2008, 10:31:20 PM
Danno is your building a meatal building-and if so is there a part that is insulated for a hot area to warm suppers -I just added a hot room and used 3 Inch rigid foam -wondering what others are useing 8-) RDY-B

I's pole barn construction and yes it has a propane heated hot room well insulated

KONASDAD · November 07, 2008, 11:18:05 AM

selling honey wholesale means you get a lot less money. it may not be worth your effort unless you have lots of hives. I sell to one healthfood store, but evrything else is retail by word of mouth and craigs list etc. I am afraid I wont be able to meet my demand if i sell wholesale if i have a bad year w/ honey . Its hard to offer something for sale to another business and be incapable of guaranteeing supply year after year.

rdy-b · November 07, 2008, 09:51:49 PM

Quote from: ; on November 07, 2008, 11:18:05 AM
selling honey wholesale means you get a lot less money. it may not be worth your effort unless you have lots of hives. I sell to one healthfood store, but everything else is retail by word of mouth and craigs list etc. I am afraid I wont be able to meet my demand if i sell wholesale if i have a bad year w/ honey . Its hard to offer something for sale to another business and be incapable of guaranteeing supply year after year.

thats how the whole thing starts-trying to keep up with demand once it starts it keeps growing-honey is as good as money in the Bank :loll: the answer is more bees 8-) just dont surpass economic sustainability ;) RDY-B

Greg Peck · November 08, 2008, 12:00:38 AM

Thanks everyone for your input. I really dont want to sell wholesale either but I do want to go to farmers markets and get into more coffee shops. I dont want to get a little network going then get shut down but the food inspector. The coffee shop I have my honey in now lets me set what ever price I want then he gets 1.00 for each bottle sold. It has worked well but I dont know how well others will like that arrangement. We are planing on selling this house within the next year or two so doing a bunch of upgrades is out of the question for now. Hopefully when we get a new place I will have a room which I can turn into a honey room and be done with it. I will just be happy to be out of the city!!

Mike I will be calling you some time, I have just been really busy in the evenings lately.

bmacior · November 08, 2008, 10:13:09 AM

Here in Utah, you can apply for a cottage permit. (It requires a food handlers certificate which I believe is just a couple hour class). This allows you to to produce food items in your kitchen and sell at farmers markets without the expense of what is being talked about here. Maybe they have something like that in your area.

If we ever get any honey, (first year, one hive, zero honey), I'm going to turn my husband's beer brewing room into the honey house. :-D Sounds like his set up (10 ft ceiling and 4 stainless steel sinks) will work just fine.

Barb

Irwin · November 08, 2008, 10:21:59 AM

Barb you guy's could make mead and you would have a multipurpose room :-D

bmacior · November 08, 2008, 10:29:42 AM

I had a sip of mead once (professionally made) and it didn't do much for me. I'm not a beer drinker either, but Steve's apricot ale could get the religious right in this state into drinking it. It's that good. Too bad they don't let you sell honemade beer at farmers markets. :'(

MustbeeNuts · November 08, 2008, 10:42:19 AM

I live in michigan, I also posted about licencing, there are a heck of a lot of rules. I did speak to the inspector and he said he would work with me. It isn't so cut an dry, but there are basics, testing water supply is paramount and the stereilization is a real big one. I am using steam , can't argue that one. but he did seem resonalbe. the problem your found with that big book of licencing is that you are required to fit the same as any producer, large sized like kellog or who ever. Its the same set of rules. A good inspector knows your not Kellog and should work with you. Mine is and that takes a lot of the headache out of it. There is one catch, find out if your local authority will allow you to have a licenced production on your property, that can also enter the picture.

BjornBee · November 09, 2008, 04:49:22 PM

Here is a picture of my small honey house. It is a converted milk house. I had to drop two kittens off at the farm this morning and took these pictures. So you get to see how it looks most of the year when not in operation.

How many violations can you see? :-D

Greg Peck · November 09, 2008, 08:50:04 PM

Ok... that would be nice. Maybe you should rent me some time in it :shock: Or I could just extract here then throw you a few bucks to say I did it in your honey house lol.

Brian D. Bray · November 09, 2008, 11:19:00 PM

1 Demerit: By Health Department Regs chemicals should always be stored below all containers and surfaces where food items are made, handled, or stored.

Cindi · November 10, 2008, 10:21:56 AM

Bjornbee. Wow, that is a pretty impressive set up you go going on there. I wish that I had a place to store my stuff like that. I have an old horse boxstall. It is not even close to what you have. I extract my honey in my house. I won't ever have enough colonies to worry about any kind of regulations, like you guys all have going on. Thank goodness, I don't think that I could ever comply with honey house regulations, that be for the big guys, smiling. Have a wonderful and awesome day, great health. Cindi