House Lawmakers Introduce Honey Integrity Act
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives have introduced a bill to prevent the sale and import of fraudulent honey. The bill requires the FDA to create a formal definition and standard for honey and mandates the destruction of adulterated honey.
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Reps. Greg Steube, R-Fla., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Mike Ezell, R-Miss., introduced the Honey Integrity Act on March 14. The bill aims to "establish a national standard for honey, enhance enforcement against fraudulent honey sales, and protect American beekeepers." It is led in the Senate by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.
The Honey Integrity Act would create the Honey Integrity Program, which a press release from Steube describes as "an enforcement mechanism to stop those who misrepresent or knowingly sells adulterated or misbranded honey."
"Honey producers across America work hard to deliver a pure, natural product, but bad actors are undermining our efforts by flooding the market with adulterated honey. I am proud to co-lead this legislation that will ensure accountability by requiring reports on enforcement actions through the establishment of the Honey Integrity Program," Ezell said. "As a beekeeper myself, I will always fight to protect consumers and our domestic honey industry."