07/20/2026
Honeygate: Why Knowing Your Honey's Source Matters
What was Honeygate?
Honeygate is the common name for a major U.S. investigation into illegally imported honey. Some importers routed Chinese honey through other countries to disguise its origin and avoid U.S. anti-dumping duties.
What investigators found
• Mislabeling and transshipment to evade import duties.
• Some imported shipments contained residues of veterinary antibiotics, including chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin.
• Separate from Honeygate, some fraudulent honey on the world market has been adulterated with inexpensive syrups such as rice syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar syrup, or beet sugar syrup. These findings applied to specific fraudulent products—not in all imported or store-bought honey.
Why buy local?
Buying directly from a trusted local beekeeper provides traceability, freshness, and confidence in the origin of your honey while supporting local agriculture.
Know your beekeeper. Know your honey.
One Garden Planet
