I just harvested some extracted honey from my hives and would like to sell some to people. Someone I know has brought up an interesting question that I've never considered. What if someone eats some of my honey, gets sick for whatever reason, and blames it on the honey? I know that one doesn't need any permits or licenses to sell honey, but what other precautions do people take to avoid trouble and/or lawsuits? Thanks very much.
I'm not a lawyer, but I would imagine that they would have to prove that the honey was the source of the illness. I would warn about botulism for infants under 1....even though I don't necessarily agree with it...just for cya purposes.
Laurus: Get on the website of your state dept. of agriculture. They should be able to lead you in the right direction. I live in Ohio, but the laws are different state to state. If you have a regular attorney (and too many of us do in this day and age) you may want to consult with him/her. I too am harvesting a small amount, don't know whether I'll have enough to sell-all my friends-"You're keeping bees? When do we get free honey?" LOL. On the serious side-check with Mann Lake, Brushy Mountain, or any of the other beekeeping supply companies-they sell labels warning about not giving honey to children under the age of 1 year. Like Mama Beek said, "I'm not a lawyer" but I would think that this would absolve you of the responsibility. Good luck
I think it depends on the country of origin. Here in the U.S. there are warnings about choking on the water, warnings about choking on the bottle cap, warnings about choking on the bottle, and probably warnings about choking on the case the bottle came in. Not to mention the truck that the bottled water was transported in.
efm: You're a poet and don't know it. It's a sad state of affairs, not only here, but around the world. People can sue you for about anything. I try to find humor in adversity. "I laugh to keep from crying." I don't know who to attribute that quote to, but it seems fo fit.
I've even received a few (junk) emails recommending to help me sue someone for anything. [anyone for everything?] Too bad some people take it seriously. :cry:
I'm going to sue you all for reducing my honey sales with this thread. It's scaring my customers. But I'm not gonna worry about my honey making anyone sick. It actually does the reverse.
An example. I went to the Publix bakery where I have gotten food grade buckets before. They said they couldn't give them away anymore because they did not have an infant drowning label on them. I looked at regular buckets in the hardware store and they did. Last week an infant drowned in a 5 gal bucket in a carport here in Fl. Sad, but if no label in multiple languages, a lawyer can make some money. Larus, it is different state to state on label and license requirements. (No difference on lawyers).
Check with your indurance Co. An umbrella policy is really cheap & covers you for almost anything you can think of. Warning labels are good but, as my lawyer said " Anyone can sue you for anything no matter what the disclaimer says"
It's sorta sad we've come to this. How is someone supposed to think of all contingencies? You can't! Having worked in restaurants for a long time, I learned that, for example, if someone cracks a tooth on an olive, they cannot sue because olives inherently have pits.
So they infant's life would have been saved if it had read the warning label on the bucket? Warning labels aren't a bad idea, but it is stupid to fill our landfills perfectly good items because there are no labels.
wow...you guys have alot of lawyers...i cant afford a lawyer cuz my X-wifes lawyer smoked my lawyers but in court....then they (my lawyer an her lawyer) went outside the court room an made golf an lunch plans (not kidding...it was jaw dropping)....i still owe that lawyer like 3 or 4 grand....i paid for hers too....id like to stick her head in a 5 gallon bucket for a few glorious minutes...sighhhh....i have seen those lables....do astroids an meteors come with warning lables...or how bout the big blue ice cubes from jet planes (snicker)...if i was a pilot id fly over my X-wifes house an drop blue cubes like they were daisy cutters....muah hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahah....wait...does this fourm have a disclaimer for funny posts about blue ice cubes falling from the sky and clocking my X an her lawyer in the skull....i better shut up now :/
