FDA Finds Adulteration in 4 Percent of Honey Samples
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published findings from a honey sampling assignment to test for economically motivated adulteration (EMA), a type of food fraud to which honey is particularly vulnerable. It is not uncommon for honey to contain undeclared added sweeteners that are less expensive than honey, such as syrups from sugarcane and corn.
FDA used a stable carbon isotope ratio analysis method to test the honey, which measures carbon isotopes in both the overall honey and its protein content. If a sample's carbon isotope levels didn't match what is expected from authentic honey, FDA reviewed the results more closely to determine if the honey was adulterated, considering factors such as natural variations of honey composition and the test's margin of error.
In 2025, FDA tested 102 honey samples, including 54 domestic samples and 48 import samples. Of the 102 samples tested, the violation rate was approximately 4 percent for both domestic products (2 out of 54) and imported products (2 out of 48).
FDA also conducted honey sampling and EMA testing in 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. In the 2022–2023 assignment, the agency collected and tested 107 imported honey samples and found 3 percent of those samples to be violative. In 2021–2022, the agency collected and tested 144 imported honey samples and found 10 percent of those samples to be violative.
When violative products were identified, FDA placed implicated firms and their products on import alerts (for imported honey), thereby stopping their entry into the U.S., or worked with firms on recalls and other corrective actions (for domestic honey).
Although the majority of honey samples tested in 2025 were unadulterated, FDA said that its findings emphasize the ongoing vulnerability of honey to food fraud and reinforce the importance of continued sampling and food defense efforts. Moving forward, FDA will maintain its surveillance of honey for food fraud through the agency's risk-based sampling programs and take follow-up actions as necessary.
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