Honey Integrity Act

Standardized Honey Quality: The Secretary will establish a standard of identity for honey based on United States Pharmacopeia standards, which helps ensure honey meets specific quality requirements (Section 2).

Detection of Fraud: The creation of the Honey Integrity Program is designed to detect "economically motivated adulteration," which includes practices like substituting or adding substances to increase a food's value (Section 4(a) and Section 4(f)(1)).

Advanced Scientific Oversight: The bill requires the use of high-level science, such as nuclear DNA testing and high-resolution mass spectrometry, to ensure the most scientifically valid outcomes for detecting adulteration (Section 4(b)(2)(A)).

Increased Accountability through Reporting: The Secretary is required to submit a report to Congress regarding enforcement actions taken against honey that is adulterated or misbranded (Section 3).

Data Sharing for Stakeholders: The Secretary will maintain and share data regarding identified adulteration with relevant enforcement agencies and national domestic producer associations (Section 4(b)(4)(B) and Section 4(b)(4)(C)).

New Costs for Packers: Qualifying commercial honey packers will be subject to a fee specified by the Secretary (Section 4(e)(1)).

Increased Testing Burdens: Packers are required to conduct complex and advanced scientific testing, including DNA and mass spectrometry, on the honey they intend to market (Section 4(b)(1) and Section 4(b)(2)(A)).

Stringent Reporting Obligations: Packers must certify their compliance, report testing results, and—if they identify adulteration—report that information to the Secretary and law enforcement within 24 hours (Section 4(b)(1) and Section 4(b)(3)).

Mandatory Product Refusal: If a packer identifies economically motivated adulteration, they are required to refuse receipt of that honey (Section 4(b)(3)(B)(ii)).