Honey Integrity Act
- Bill Number
- S. 1028
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Agriculture and Food
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T22:51:52Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Honey Integrity Act aims to safeguard the quality and authenticity of honey sold in the United States by establishing standards, requiring testing to detect adulteration (the intentional addition of cheaper substances to increase profits), and enhancing enforcement mechanisms. This addresses concerns about economically motivated tampering in the honey supply chain.
Key Provisions
- Short Title: The bill is titled the "Honey Integrity Act."
- Standard of Identity (Section 2): Within one year of enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (through the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA) must create a federal definition for what qualifies as "honey," based on standards from the United States Pharmacopeia (a non-profit organization that sets quality guidelines for medicines and foods) and aligned with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).
- Report on Enforcement (Section 3): Within two years of enactment, the FDA must submit a report to Congress detailing actions taken under the FD&C Act against honey that is adulterated (contaminated or impure) or misbranded (falsely labeled).
- Honey Integrity Program (Section 4):
- Establishes a mandatory program starting 180 days after enactment to detect economically motivated adulteration in honey entering interstate commerce (trade across state lines).
- Testing Requirements for Packers: "Qualifying commercial honey packers" (those paying assessments to the National Honey Board, excluding small or exempt operations as defined by the FDA) must:
- Test honey intended for U.S. markets using advanced scientific methods, such as nuclear DNA testing (analyzing genetic material in cell nuclei), mitochondrial DNA testing (genetic analysis of cell energy structures), nuclear magnetic resonance (a scanning technique to identify chemical composition), high-resolution mass spectrometry (a method to measure molecular weights precisely), and other combined protocols for reliable detection.
- Ensure tests cover a sufficient sample volume based on law enforcement guidelines developed by the FDA in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other agencies.
- Tests must meet or exceed international best practices.
- Certification and Reporting: Packers must certify compliance to the FDA, stating they have no knowledge of adulterated honey in their supply, and report test results as specified.
- Adulteration Response: If adulteration is found, packers must report it to the FDA and law enforcement within 24 hours and refuse to accept the honey.
- FDA Actions: Upon alerts, the FDA investigates, confirms via federal labs, destroys confirmed adulterated honey, and shares data with federal, state, and local enforcement agencies (including CBP and the Department of Agriculture, or USDA), as well as stakeholders like domestic producer groups.
- Public List: The FDA must publish and update a list of qualifying packers, including any exclusions, and distribute it to relevant parties.
- Interagency Cooperation: The FDA consults with CBP, USDA, and others for testing protocols; CBP and USDA provide lab resources if FDA lacks capacity.
- Funding: Packers pay fees set by the FDA to support the program; fees are available only as appropriated by Congress and remain usable until spent. Appropriations are authorized as needed.
- Definitions:
- Economically motivated adulteration: Intentional acts like substituting ingredients or adding substances to boost a food's apparent value, making it adulterated under the FD&C Act.
- Qualifying commercial honey packer: Entities assessed by the National Honey Board under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act, minus any FDA-defined exemptions.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces the first federal standard of identity specifically for honey under the FD&C Act, providing a clear legal definition where none existed before.
- Creates a new mandatory testing and certification program for commercial honey packers, building on but expanding FD&C Act provisions for adulteration (Section 402) and misbranding (Section 403) by requiring proactive, science-based detection and rapid reporting.
- Adds interagency resource-sharing and data-sharing mandates, which were not previously specified for honey enforcement.
- Imposes fees on packers to fund the program, a novel funding mechanism tied directly to industry compliance.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The FDA gains new responsibilities for standards, testing oversight, investigations, and reporting, potentially straining resources but supported by fees and interagency aid from CBP (for import checks) and USDA (for labs and agriculture expertise). This could improve coordination on food safety but require additional staffing and funding.
- Citizens (Consumers): Increases confidence in honey purity, reducing risks from adulterated products (e.g., those mixed with syrups), though testing costs may raise honey prices slightly.
- International Relations: Enhances scrutiny of imported honey through CBP involvement and advanced testing, potentially leading to more rejections of non-compliant foreign products and affecting trade with major exporters like China or India, while aligning U.S. practices with global standards.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Honey Packers and Processors: Qualifying commercial entities face new testing, certification, reporting, and fee obligations, with penalties for non-compliance; smaller or exempt packers are unaffected.
- Domestic Honey Producers: Benefit from protections against adulterated imports, potentially boosting market competitiveness; associations like the National Honey Board are involved in assessments and data sharing.
- Consumers: Gain safer, more authentic honey products.
- Government Agencies: FDA (primary enforcer), CBP (import oversight), and USDA (resource support) must collaborate more closely.
- Importers and International Suppliers: Face heightened barriers if their honey fails U.S. testing standards.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens FD&C Act enforcement by mandating specific tools and timelines for honey, potentially setting precedents for similar programs in other food sectors; defines "economically motivated adulteration" to clarify prosecutable offenses.
- Constitutional: Regulates interstate commerce under Congress's Commerce Clause authority, ensuring uniform national standards without infringing on states' rights, as it allows data-sharing with state/local enforcers.
- Political: Supports U.S. agriculture by protecting a niche industry from foreign adulteration, reflecting bipartisan interest in food integrity; referral to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions signals focus on public health and economic fairness, with no overt partisan elements in the text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-03-13: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Honey Integrity Act — issued 2025-03-13 — PDF (8 pages)