Honey Integrity Act

This bill, known as the Honey Integrity Act, aims to safeguard the integrity of honey sold in the United States by addressing issues of adulteration. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to establish a standard of identity for honey within one year of enactment, based on United States Pharmacopeia standards. A central provision is the establishment of a Honey Integrity Program to detect economically motivated adulteration. Under this program, qualifying commercial honey packers must conduct rigorous testing using advanced scientific methods, including nuclear DNA testing and nuclear magnetic resonance, on honey intended for market. Packers are required to certify compliance, report testing results to the Secretary, and immediately report any identified adulteration, refusing receipt of such honey. Upon receiving an alert of adulteration, the Secretary is mandated to investigate, test, and destroy the adulterated honey after confirming results through Federal laboratory findings. The program also requires maintaining and sharing data on adulteration with relevant enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Agriculture, and with domestic producer associations. Interagency cooperation is emphasized, with other agencies providing resources if needed. The Secretary will publish and update a list of qualifying commercial honey packers, and these packers will be subject to fees to fund the program. Additionally, the bill requires a report to Congress within two years on enforcement actions taken against adulterated or misbranded honey under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.