Ingredients company Alfred L Wolff is vigorously denying accusations against two of its U.S. executives who were arrested for allegedly importing honey from China mislabelled as coming from Russia and the Ukraine.
Honey imported from China to the U.S. necessitates antidumping duties to make up for alleged unfair influences on competition, as the exported product is lower in price than what is normally paid in the home market.
Prosecutors alleged the honey imported by two employees from the Chicago offices of the Hamburg-based company was falsely labelled so as to avoid paying this antidumping fee, according to The Associated Press.
Furthermore, the honey was said to contain an antibiotic that is not approved in the U.S. for use in food-producing animals, such as bees.
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