I don't buy the anti-government rant.
Even within highly regulated industries (think "major" FDA type stuff like drugs or implants), the onus is still on the producer/manufacturer to provide accurate and honest information to the regulating boards.
Well, first off, I came off badly, because it wasn't that the Government shouldn't do anything, but that sweeping Federal regulations/oversight boards are ineffective at best, destructive at worst. The major problem is that with the regulation in government, large corporations can influence regulations and laws to favour them over small producers. With an independent, private organisation, the small apiaries and large conglomerates are treated equally.
The point is that for regulation to be effective, you cannot merely request honest information, you have to test the product, etc. Government cannot do this efficiently. Now, like I said, I'm not against State governments attempting this kind of oversight, and some will be better at it than others. But time and time again, we see private industries do a better, more efficient job than others.
The industry itself cannot regulate in a free-market sense if there is major government intervention. I don't know enough about honey-related issues, so I can't comment beyond conjecture.
Which is fortunate, I'm sure. But with drugs and food, meeting FDA/USDA standards is no representation of the quality or appropriateness of the product itself; it merely provides a false sense of security for consumers. When you see some of the wide definitions, or the inability to enforce regulations, the cost of even having those definitions and regulations at the federal level is prohibitive.
But, now we're in the territory of politics, and not mead and honey, which is where we should be. I will shut up about the political side for now, noting that my humble opinion is that government-level regulations and taxes are inhibiting cost-effective honies from being produced.
I agree with Medsen, as I have a young daughter; beekeeping is out of the question for now. Though, I have a mortal fear of bees regardless....it would be fun to overcome that, just for mazing.