Barkman Honey Class Action Challenges ‘Raw’ Label

According to a recent class action, Barkman’s Naked Wild Great Lakes Honey is not “raw” like the company advertises.

Raw honey is different from regular honey because it is not heated at all during processing. Instead, the honey is simply extracted from honeycombs, strained, and bottled.

This reportedly results in honey’s natural enzymes staying intact, which produces a higher quality product with more nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and pollen.

Barkman’s Naked Wild Great Lakes Honey is reportedly described as “raw and unfiltered” on its website and its label features claims that the product is “100% Pure Raw Honey.”

However, a recent Barkman honey class action claims that these statements are false because Barkman reportedly heats their raw honey to more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit during the bottling process.

On the company’s website, Barkman allegedly states that their honey is not heated to the point that the natural enzymes are destroyed. “It’s warmed just enough to liquefy the honey crystals while retaining natural enzymes, flavor and aroma. Raw honey generally can be defined as honey obtained by minimal processing,” the website claims.

However, plaintiff Dave Wingate argues that this is not true. Wingate says he purchased a sample of Barkman’s “raw” honey and tested the product’s HMF value.

According to Wingate’s Barkman honey class action, an HMF value over 40 is international recognized as an indicator that honey has been heated enough to break down the enzymes.

Upon testing Barkman’s honey, Wingate allegedly found that the product had an HMF value of 147, “almost 4 times the threshold of 40 for table honey.”

Wingate argues that this proves Barkman lies to their consumers about heating their honey beyond 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Barkman either knew or recklessly failed to know that its labeling the Raw Honey as ‘100% Pure Raw Honey’ was incorrect and misleading, and despite this knowledge, Barkman continues to sell its Raw Honey at prices it could not hope to receive for processed honey; that is, honey that is not 100% raw because it has admittedly been heated,” the Barkman honey class action lawsuit claims.

The Barkman honey class action lawsuit also includes claims against True Source Honey LLC, the company which reportedly certified Barkman’s honey products. Wingate claims that True Source, which certifies pure, authentic honey products, failed to monitor Barkman to ensure that the company could stay certified.

“True Source has knowingly or negligently failed to monitor its member Barkman for compliance with its True Source requirement that it maintain a system that will prevent honey from being sold by Barkman that is not adulterated,” the Barkman honey class action lawsuit argues.

Wingate seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased Barkman’s 100% Raw Honey products.

The Barkman honey class action lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, equitable relief, declaratory relief, punitive damages, interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Wingate and the proposed Class are represented by J. Phillip Gragson, John H. Hutton, and Kathleen S. Harvey of Henson Hutton Mudrick Gragson & Vogelsberg LLP, Kent A. Heitzinger of Kent A. Heitzinger & Associates, and Terrence Buehler of The Law Office of Terrence Buehler.

The Barkman’s Naked Wild Great Lakes Honey Class Action Lawsuit is Wingate v. Barkman Honey LLC, et al., Case No. 5:19-cv-04074-SAC-ADM, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.

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