FDA: 10% of imported honey is economically adulterated

After testing samples of more than 140 honey shipments imported to the United States, FDA found that 10% of the honey products contained undeclared added sweeteners.

Rachel French, Contributing writer

January 5, 2023

2 Min Read
honey_1.jpg

As much as 10% of honey imported to the United States contains undeclared added sweeteners, according to findings of a sampling assignment of honey shipments by FDA—dubbed by the agency as “economically motivated adulteration.”

In 2021 and 2022, FDA collected and tested 144 samples of imported honey from bulk and retail shipments from 32 countries to determine whether the products were adulterated by the addition of less-expensive, undeclared added sweeteners, such as cane or corn syrup.

The findings, which were announced by FDA in December 2022, showed 14 of the samples met FDA’s criteria for “economically motivated adulteration.” Per FDA, economically motivated adulteration happens when a valuable ingredient or part of a food is intentionally left out, taken out or substituted, or when a substance is added to a food, with the goal of making it appear better or of greater value.

“When companies add undeclared cheaper sweeteners to honey, such as syrups derived from cane, corn, rice or sugar beets—and label the product as ‘honey’—they do so to lower their production costs, but consumers still pay the full price for what is deceptively labeled as honey, with the additional profit going to the companies,” the agency wrote of the findings.

Products that contain honey and other sweeteners are required, per the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) Act, to be labeled as a “blend,” and not as “honey.” Such products also require an ingredient statement.

The agency went further to tag the improperly labeled honey products blended with additional sweeteners as “fraud.”

“Simply put, consumers are being cheated,” the agency wrote.

The violative shipments were refused entry into the United States, according to FDA. The associated products and companies were also placed on import alert.

The issue of economically motivated adulteration of honey products has been documented in other countries in recent years. In Canada, for example, the prevalence of honey adulterated with additional sweeteners was 13% in 2019 and 2020.

Per FDA, 70% of the honey consumed in the U.S. is imported.

“Given these data, the FDA conducted this assignment to better understand the extent of economically motivated adulteration among imported honey and to identify violative products and prevent them from being distributed in the U.S. market,” the agency wrote.

FDA said it routinely samples imported honey to ensure the products are accurately labeled. The process is part of the agency’s import sampling and risk-based import entry screening program.

About the Author

Rachel French

Contributing writer

Rachel French joined Informa’s Health & Nutrition Network in 2013. Her career in the natural products industry started with a food and beverage focus before transitioning into her role as managing editor of SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly known as Natural Products Insider), where she covered the dietary supplement industry. French left Informa Markets in 2019, but continues to freelance for both SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal and SupplySide Supplement Journal.

Subscribe for the latest consumer trends, trade news, nutrition science and regulatory updates in the food & beverage industry!
Join 30,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.

You May Also Like