Make a beeline for honey authentication: Na, K, Rb, Mg, Ca-based verification method

This study presented a straightforward method for detecting the adulteration of natural bee honey with consumable artificial honey and bee syrups. The approach, based on measuring alkali and alkaline earth metal content, revealed that adulterated honey samples had lower K, Rb, Mg, and Ca levels and elevated Na content. A novel and cost-effective method, solution cathode glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (SCGD OES), was developed for elemental analysis. The method's trueness was confirmed through ICP OES and ICP MS measurements. SCGD OES featured excellent measurement precision (<1 %) with low limits of detection, i.e., 0.005, 0.007, 0.015, 0.2, and 20 μg L^-1 for Na, K, Rb, Mg, and Ca, respectively. It surpassed commercial techniques with lower costs, straightforward sample preparation (no acid digestion needed), and a simplified setup. The average detection threshold for adulteration was 21 %, 13 %, and 12 % for rapeseed, goldenrod, and honeydew honey, respectively.