---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 4602"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "4602"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/4602"
units:
  - "Chapter 77 — Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information"
---

# §4602. Definitions


As used in this chapter:

- (1) The term “Committee” means the National [Honey](#7) Nominations Committee provided for under [section 4606(b) of this title](/usc/7/4606.md?p=b).
- (2) The term “consumer education” means any action to provide information on the usage and care of [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10).
- (3) **Department.—** The term “Department” means the Department of Agriculture.
- (4) The term “exporter” means any [person](#15) who exports [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10) from the United States.
- (5) **Handle.—**
  - (A) **In general.—** The term “handle” means to process, package, sell, transport, purchase, or in any other way place or cause to be placed in commerce, [honey](#7) or a [honey](#7) product.
  - (B) **Inclusion.—** The term “[handle](#5-A)” includes selling unprocessed [honey](#7) that will be consumed or used without further processing or packaging.
  - (C) **Exclusions.—** The term “[handle](#5-A)” does not include—
    - (i) the transportation of unprocessed [honey](#7) by a [producer](#16) to a [handler](#6);
    - (ii) the transportation by a commercial carrier of [honey](#7), whether processed or unprocessed, for a [handler](#6) or [producer](#16); or
    - (iii) the purchase of [honey](#7) or a [honey](#7) product by a consumer or other end-user of the [honey](#7) or [honey](#7) product.
- (6) The term “handler” means any [person](#15) who [handles](#5-A) [honey](#7).
- (7) The term “honey” means the nectar and saccharine exudations of plants which are gathered, modified, and stored in the comb by honey bees.
- (8) The term “Honey Board” means the board provided for under [section 4606(c) of this title](/usc/7/4606.md?p=c).
- (9) **Honey production.—** The term “honey production” means all beekeeping operations related to—
  - (A) managing [honey](#7) bee colonies to produce [honey](#7);
  - (B) harvesting [honey](#7) from the colonies;
  - (C) extracting [honey](#7) from the honeycombs; and
  - (D) preparing [honey](#7) for sale for further processing.
- (10) The term “honey products” means products produced, in whole or part, from [honey](#7).
- (11) The term “importer” means any [person](#15) who imports [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10) into the United States or acts as an agent, [broker](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-7), or consignee for any [person](#15) or nation that produces [honey](#7) outside of the United States for sale in the United States and who is listed in the import records as the importer of record for such [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10).
- (12) **Industry information.—** The term “industry information” means information or a program that will lead to the development of new [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1), new [marketing](#13) strategies, or increased efficiency for the [honey](#7) industry, or an activity to enhance the image of [honey](#7) and [honey products](#10) and of the [honey](#7) industry.
- (13) The term “marketing” means the sale or other disposition in commerce of [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10).
- (14) **National honey marketing cooperative.—** The term “national honey marketing cooperative” means a cooperative that [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) its products in at least 2 of the following 4 regions of the United States, as determined by the [Secretary](#22):
  - (A) The Atlantic Coast, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  - (B) The Mideast.
  - (C) The Midwest.
  - (D) The Pacific, including the [States](#23) of Alaska and Hawaii.
- (15) The term “person” means any individual, group of individuals, partnership, corporation, association, cooperative, or any other entity.
- (16) The term “producer” means any [person](#15) who produces [honey](#7) in the United States for sale in commerce.
- (17) The term “producer-packer” means any [person](#15) who is both a [producer](#16) and [handler](#6) of [honey](#7).
- (18) The term “promotion” means any action, including paid advertising, pursuant to this chapter, to present a favorable image for [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10) to the public with the express intent of improving the competitive position and stimulating sales of [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10).
- (19) **Qualified national organization representing handler interests.—** The term “qualified national organization representing handler interests” means an organization that the [Secretary](#22) certifies as being eligible to recommend nominations for the [Committee](#1) [handler](#6), [handler](#6)-[importer](#11), alternate [handler](#6), and alternate [handler](#6)-[importer](#11) members of the [Honey Board](#8) under [section 4606(b) of this title](/usc/7/4606.md?p=b).
- (20) **Qualified national organization representing importer interests.—** The term “qualified national organization representing importer interests” means an organization that the [Secretary](#22) certifies as being eligible to recommend nominations for the [Committee](#1) [importer](#11), [handler](#6)-[importer](#11), alternate [importer](#11), and alternate [handler](#6)-[importer](#11) members of the [Honey Board](#8) under [section 4606(b) of this title](/usc/7/4606.md?p=b).
- (21) The term “research” means any type of research designed to advance the image, desirability, usage, marketability, production, or quality of [honey](#7) or [honey products](#10).
- (22) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.
- (23) The term “State” means any of the several States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
- (24) The term “State association” means that organization of beekeepers in a [State](#23) which is generally recognized as representing the beekeepers of that [State](#23).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–590, § 3, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 3116; Pub. L. 101–624, title XIX, § 1982, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3904; Pub. L. 105–185, title VI, § 605(b), June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 588.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1998—Pars. (1) to (5). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(3), redesignated pars. (14), (12), (19), (18), and (7) as (1) to (5), respectively. Former pars. (1) to (5) redesignated (7), (10), (22), (15), and (16), respectively.

Par. (7). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(3), redesignated par. (1) as (7). Former par. (7) redesignated (5).

Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(1), added par. (7) and struck out former par. (7) which read as follows: “The term ‘handle’ means to sell, package, or process honey.”

Pars. (8) to (12). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(3), redesignated pars. (15), (20), (2), (8), and (21) as (8) to (12), respectively. Former pars. (8) to (12) redesignated (11), (17), (18), (21), and (2), respectively.

Pars. (14) to (18). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(3), redesignated pars. (22), (4), (5), (9), and (10) as (14) to (18), respectively. Former pars. (14) to (18) redesignated (1), (8), (24), (23), and (4), respectively.

Pars. (19) to (24). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(3), redesignated pars. (23), (24), (11), (3), (17), and (16) as (19) to (24), respectively. Former pars. (19) to (24) redesignated (3), (9), (12), (14), (19), and (20), respectively.

Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(b)(2), added pars. (19) to (24).

1990—Par. (8). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1982(1), substituted “or acts” for “or who acts”, and inserted before period at end “and who is listed in the import records as the importer of record for such honey or honey products”.

Par. (18). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1982(2), added par. (18).