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1 1 (August 5, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveica0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con res&on I Research Serv irirn rig I Iec t~ve d mis 'e 1914 S August 5, 2022 Ongoing Efforts to Address Fraud and Adulteration of Honey In the next farm bill, Congress may address concerns raised by U.S. honey producers about the adulteration, misbranding, and fraudulent mislabeling of both domestically produced and imported honey. Some producer groups claim such concerns could be addressed through regulatory standards for what constitutes honey, enhanced country of origin labeling, and enforcement of intentional fraud and adulteration of honey imports in violation of U.S. customs and trade laws. Background Honey is a food product with documented reports of food fraud, adulteration, and misbranding. As highlighted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some companies intentionally dilute honey by mixing in cheaper sweeteners such as corn syrup, rice syrup, sugar beet syrup, or cane sugar, which lowers their cost of production, and then market and sell that product to consumers as pure honey at higher prices. U.S. honey production has steadily declined, while imports have sharply increased (Figure 1, Table 1). The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Justice have pursued cases involving illegal imports of fraudulent or adulterated honey. FDA has seized honey imports in response to tests indicating some products contain unapproved chemicals and antibiotics or other agricultural chemicals, triggering FDA import alerts. Product Standards for Honey The U.S. honey industry has tried to address fraud and adulteration concerns by advocating for stricter product standards. In 2006, honey producers, packers, exporters, importers, and marketers petitioned FDA to develop a national standard of identity for honey under 21 C.F.R. 130.6 (Docket No. FDA-2006-P-0207-0001). Standards of identity are established by regulations that determine what a food product must contain to be marketed under a certain name (see text box). FDA is the agency responsible for developing a standard of identity for food products, such as honey, under the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. §341). The 2006 petition asked FDA to implement a federal standard of identity for honey based on the 2001 international standard established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations. Codex standards are voluntary and intended to promote food definitions and requirements to support harmonization and ensure fair practices in international food trade. Codex's Standard for Honey (CXS 12-19811), for example, describes allowable moisture content and specifies sugar, fructose, glucose, and sucrose content (and in some cases, nectar source); water insoluble solids content; additives, contaminants, and pesticide/veterinary drug residue levels; hygiene and codes of practice; and product labeling. While Codex standards are voluntary, they often serve as a basis for national legislation. Separately, the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit organization that publishes the pharmacopeia for the United States, is examining honey in its 2020-2025 Food Chemicals Codex standards review. Figure 1. U.S. Honey Production and Imports (00 0 4a Source: CRS from USDA (https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/) and USITC DataWeb (https://dataweb.usitc.gov/). Data not adjusted for inflation. Notes: Natural honey (Harmonized Tariff Schedule, HTS 0409). Does not include other related imports (e.g., HTS 1 702, 2106.90.9988). Table 1. U.S. Honey Production and Imports, 202I U.S. Production (million lbs.) U.S. Imports (million lbs.) State Vol. % Country Vol. % North Dakota 28.3 22% India 124.7 26% South Dakota 12.3 10% Vietnam 123.5 25% California 9.6 8% Argentina 95.3 20% Florida 8.5 7% Brazil 76.0 16% Texas 7.7 6% Ukraine 1 3.1 3% All Other 60.2 48% All Other 53.0 1 1% Total 126.5 Total 485.7 Sources: CRS from USDA data (https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/) and USITC DataWeb (https://dataweb.usitc.gov/). Note: In May 2022, an antidumping duty investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission concluded that some leading import suppliers in India, Vietnam, Argentina, and Brazil were selling honey at less than fair value that have materially injured the U.S. honey industry. Perceived delays in FDA's response to the 2006 petition prompted House appropriators to add language to a FY2010 committee report directing FDA to respond to the 2006 petition (H.Rept. 111-181). The report also urged FDA to address products illegally marketed as honey that contain other ingredients in order to protect consumers and the domestic honey industry from misbranded honey and honey- derived products that are currently entering the U.S. market.

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