Relating to honey production operations and the harvesting and packaging of honey and honeycomb.

Contracts

• Supply Agreements: Retailers and wholesalers must amend Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA) agreements. Remove standard clauses requiring "DSHS Food Manufacturer License" for honey vendors.
• Indemnification: Replace licensing requirements with strict warranty clauses stating the supplier complies with Texas Health & Safety Code § 437.001(7). Ensure indemnification clauses explicitly cover product liability claims, as the state no longer provides a safety inspection shield.
• Leases: If leasing land for apiaries, agreements must explicitly grant the lessee (beekeeper) full management control of the hives to satisfy the "owned and managed" statutory requirement.

Hiring/Training

• Procurement Staff: Train buyers that a lack of a DSHS license is no longer a disqualifier for honey vendors. Staff must be trained to verify product purity (raw vs. infused) rather than facility licensing.
• Production Staff: If you are a producer, staff must be trained that adding *any* ingredient (flavoring, spices) voids the exemption and immediately triggers full commercial licensing requirements.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Origin Verification: Producers must maintain records proving 100% of the honey is from hives they own and manage within Texas.
• Labeling: Review inventory. The specific "Bottled in a facility not inspected..." warning required by previous law is repealed. Labels must now simply comply with Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 131.

Fees & Costs

• Fee Reduction: Producers save the cost of commercial food manufacturing licensing and commercial kitchen rental fees.
• Insurance: Producers moving into wholesale must upgrade from general liability to Product Liability insurance, as retailers will require this in the absence of state inspection.