The Honey Integrity Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set a standard of identity for honey, requires reports on misbranded honey enforcement, establishes a Honey Integrity Program to detect adulteration, and mandates testing and certification for commercial honey packers.
Tommy Tuberville
Senator
AL
The Honey Integrity Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set a standard of identity for honey, requires a report to Congress on enforcement actions regarding misbranded honey, and establishes a Honey Integrity Program to detect and prevent honey adulteration in interstate commerce. This program mandates U.S. commercial honey packers to test their honey, certify compliance, and report findings to the Secretary, who will then investigate, test, and destroy any adulterated honey. The Act also authorizes fees for qualifying honey packers and mandates interagency cooperation to ensure effective enforcement.
New Bill Targets Fake Honey: Mandates Federal Standards and Testing, Packers to Cover Costs
This legislation, the Honey Integrity Act, takes aim at stopping adulterated or fake honey from hitting store shelves. It directs the government (specifically, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting via the FDA) to establish a national 'standard of identity' for honey within one year, basically creating a clear, official definition of what real honey is (SEC. 2). The goal is to tackle what the bill calls 'economically motivated adulteration' – when cheaper stuff like syrups are mixed in to boost profits (SEC. 4).
Cracking Down with Science
The core of the Act is the new 'Honey Integrity Program' (SEC. 4). This requires commercial honey packers in the U.S. – the folks bottling honey for sale – to start testing their product using advanced methods like DNA analysis and mass spectrometry before it goes to market. Think of it like a high-tech purity check. They'll need to certify their honey is clean, keep records, and report their test results back to the government. If they find adulterated honey, they have 24 hours to report it to the authorities and must refuse the shipment.
Who Foots the Bill? Packer Responsibilities and Costs
This new testing and reporting system falls squarely on the shoulders of 'qualifying commercial honey packers' (defined generally as those paying into the National Honey Board, though the Secretary can make exclusions). They won't just bear the operational costs of testing; they'll also have to pay fees to fund the Honey Integrity Program itself (SEC. 4). The exact fee amount isn't specified in the bill – it's left to the Secretary to determine. This raises practical questions about the potential financial impact, especially for smaller honey packing operations compared to larger players.
Government Oversight and Teamwork
The FDA gets new marching orders: investigate reports of bad honey, conduct its own tests, and destroy any adulterated product found (SEC. 4). They'll also publish a list of packers who are complying with the new rules. To make sure enforcement has teeth, the bill requires the FDA to work with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), allowing these agencies to lend resources if needed (SEC. 4). Additionally, the Secretary needs to report back to Congress within two years on enforcement actions taken against misbranded or adulterated honey under existing food safety laws (SEC. 3).