Beyond fraud: Functional authenticity as the next frontier in honey quality assurance

Honey has long been recognized as a functional food, possessing antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, current authenticity systems remain solely focused on detecting adulteration and verifying botanical or geographical origin. While these measures are essential for fraud prevention, they fail to capture a critical dimension: honey's biological efficacy. A sample of honey may be legally authentic yet functionally compromised if bioactive compounds are degraded by heat, storage, or blending practices. This comment introduces the concept of functional authenticity, defined as the integration of purity and origin verification with the preservation and validation of honey's biological performance. Moving from concept to implementation requires dual-level testing strategies that combine compositional profiling—quantifying methylglyoxal, hydrogen peroxide activity, defensin-1, and key phenolics—with standardized and certified in vitro bioactivity assays for antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. Advances in analytical chemistry and machine learning now allow predictive models to link chemical fingerprints with functional performance, enabling scalable, cost-effective quality assurance. To operationalize this framework, standardized Good Apicultural Sampling Practice protocols and internationally defined bioactivity benchmarks must be incorporated into certification systems. This shift from legal to functional authenticity aligns honey's market positioning as a health-promoting food with measurable efficacy, strengthens consumer trust, and fosters innovation across apiculture, regulatory, and research sectors. By embedding functional authenticity into quality control, honey can be safeguarded not only against fraud but also against the erosion of its functional promise in a changing climate and evolving food system.