- On April 8, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released data from a 2022-2023 sampling assignment to test imported honey for economically motivated adulteration (EMA). The sampling was designed to identify products with undeclared sweeteners that are less expensive than honey, such as cane and corn syrups.
- EMA occurs when a valuable ingredient or part of a food is intentionally let out, taken out, or substituted, or when a substance is added to a food to make it appear better or of greater value. EMA is known by FDA to occur in other products as well, such as olive oil, seafood, juice, and spices.
- The assignment was conducted between April 2022 and July 2023. The Agency collected 107 samples of imported honey and found three samples (3%) to be violative. This was a reduction from the 10% violative samples found in imported honey in the previous 2021-2022 study.
- When FDA finds a violative sample, the product is refused entry into the US and the associated company and product are put on Import Alert (IA). The Agency states that it continues to develop methods to further improve the detection of undeclared sweeteners in honey.
FDA Releases Data on EMA Honey
FDA Releases Data on EMA Honey
Tuesday, April 16, 2024