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

Area of Science:

• Food chemistry
• Analytical chemistry
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Honey adulteration with artificial substitutes is a growing concern.
• Accurate detection methods are crucial for consumer protection and industry integrity.
• Existing methods can be costly and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, cost-effective method for detecting honey adulteration.
• To analyze alkali and alkaline earth metal content for adulteration indicators.
• To establish a straightforward elemental analysis technique for quality control.

Main Methods:

• Solution cathode glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (SCGD OES) was employed for elemental analysis.
• Measurements focused on sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca) content.
• Method validation was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES) and Mass Spectrometry (ICP MS).

Main Results:

• Adulterated honey samples exhibited significantly lower K, Rb, Mg, and Ca levels, alongside elevated Na content.
• SCGD OES demonstrated high precision (<1%) and low detection limits for target elements.
• The method proved effective in detecting adulteration across different honey types (rapeseed, goldenrod, honeydew) with varying thresholds.

Conclusions:

• SCGD OES offers a reliable, cost-effective, and simplified alternative for honey adulteration detection.
• The method's ease of use and minimal sample preparation requirements make it highly practical.
• Elemental profiling provides a robust approach to ensuring honey authenticity and quality.