Honey Integrity Act

This legislation, known as the Honey Integrity Act, aims to safeguard the integrity of honey sold within the United States. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a comprehensive standard of identity for honey within one year, aligning with applicable United States Pharmacopeia standards. Additionally, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress within two years detailing enforcement actions taken against adulterated or misbranded honey under existing food and drug laws. A core component of the bill is the establishment of a Honey Integrity Program , designed to detect economically motivated adulteration in honey entering interstate commerce. Under this program, qualifying commercial honey packers must conduct rigorous testing using advanced scientific methods, including DNA testing and mass spectrometry, and certify compliance. Packers are required to report test results and, crucially, immediately report any identified adulteration and refuse receipt of such honey. Upon detection of economically motivated adulteration, the Secretary is mandated to investigate, test, and destroy the affected honey, while also sharing data with relevant federal, state, and local enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Agriculture. The program also outlines interagency cooperation for resource sharing and establishes a fee structure for qualifying commercial honey packers to fund these integrity efforts.