Honey Integrity Act Mandates DNA Testing for All Commercial Honey, Cracking Down on Food Fraud

The new Honey Integrity Act is looking to clean up the sticky mess that is commercial honey fraud. This bill mandates a major overhaul of how honey is defined and sold in the U.S., starting with the federal government establishing an official, science-backed standard for what actually counts as “honey” within one year. This new definition must follow the established quality benchmarks set by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), finally giving regulators a clear line in the sand against fake products.

The New Standard: No More Mystery Nectar

For years, consumers have worried about "economically motivated adulteration"—that fancy term for when someone swaps out or waters down expensive ingredients (like honey) with cheap fillers (like corn syrup) to make a quick buck. This bill directly tackles that by creating the Honey Integrity Program. Starting 180 days after the bill becomes law, every commercial honey packer who pays fees to the National Honey Board must test every batch they plan to sell.

We’re not talking about simple sugar tests here. The bill requires state-of-the-art forensic testing, including nuclear and mitochondrial DNA testing, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Think of it as a CSI lab for your breakfast spread. The testing must be as good as, or better than, what other countries use to catch fakes, ensuring that when you buy a jar of honey, it’s actually honey.

What This Means for Packers and Consumers

For the commercial honey packers, this is a big operational change. They must now invest in rigorous, advanced testing protocols and certify to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (acting through the FDA) that their honey is pure. If they find evidence of fraud—say, a shipment of imported honey tests positive for corn syrup—they must refuse the shipment and report the finding to the government within 24 hours. This puts the burden of proof and initial policing squarely on the industry, which will significantly increase costs for these businesses.

However, for consumers, this is a huge win for quality assurance. The mandatory, high-tech testing means the honey on the shelf is far less likely to be cut with cheap fillers. This also benefits legitimate domestic beekeepers and producers who are currently being undercut by cheaper, fraudulent products flooding the market. The bill requires the FDA to investigate and destroy any confirmed fraudulent honey, and share that data with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and industry groups, closing the loopholes that allow fakes to slip through.

Who Pays for the Purity?

To fund this massive testing and enforcement effort, the bill authorizes the Secretary to charge fees to those qualifying commercial honey packers. While the fees are intended to cover the costs of the program, the money can only be spent if Congress specifically approves it in an appropriations bill. This is a crucial detail: the program’s effectiveness hinges on whether Congress actually allocates the necessary funds. If they don't, the FDA and partner agencies (CBP and USDA, who are required to provide lab resources if the FDA is short) could be left scrambling to enforce these demanding new standards without the necessary budget. Overall, this bill is a strong move toward food integrity, demanding scientific rigor to ensure that what’s on the label is what’s in the jar.