The bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to set a standard of identity for honey within one year of enactment. It would also require a report to Congress on enforcement actions involving adulterated or misbranded honey within two years.
The bill would create a Honey Integrity Program. Starting 180 days after enactment, qualifying commercial honey packers would have to test honey intended for sale in the United States, report test results, and certify compliance. Packers that identify economically motivated adulteration would have to notify the Secretary and required law enforcement officials within 24 hours and refuse the honey. The Secretary would investigate identified honey and, after confirming adulteration through federal laboratory findings, destroy it.
The bill would set testing and reporting requirements for qualifying honey packers and require federal agencies to share information about identified adulteration. It does not specify how the requirements would affect honey prices or availability.
Qualifying packers would pay a fee set by the Secretary. The bill authorizes appropriations for the program, but fees could be used only to the extent and in the amount provided in appropriations acts. No specific fee amounts are stated.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.