Dietary contribution of essential elements from honey consumed in the United States

Honey is a natural sweetener with nutritional properties, contributing minerals to the human diet. Data on U.S. honey is limited. This study analyzed the concentrations of 13 essential elements (B, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Se, Sr, and Zn) in 261 commercially available single-source honey samples from the U.S. using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The study assessed nutritional contributions, regional variations, and non-carcinogenic risks from honey consumption. On average, Se, Mo, Ni, Sr, and Cu ranged from 3.3 to 255 μg/kg, whereas Zn, Mn, Fe, B, Mg, Na, Ca, and K ranged from 0.70 to 615 mg/kg. For macroelements, K was the most abundant element, followed by Ca, with B, Fe, and Mn being highest among the microelements. Spearman correlation, Principial Component Analysis (PCA), and Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed significant inter-element relationships. Potassium and Mg were strongly correlated (r = 0.71), reflecting co-mobilization in plant nectar secretion. Moderate correlations were observed among Mg, Ca, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mo, Na, Mn, and Sr (r = 0.40-0.65), due to shared botanical and environmental influences. While significant differences between regions were identified by the Kruskal-Wallis test, PCA results showed no distinct regional clustering, indicating that the essential elemental composition of U.S. honey is not significantly influenced by geographic origin. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) contributions were estimated for three intake levels (2 g, 21 g, and 42 g/day). At the highest level, honey provided up to 10.2 %, 11.3 %, and 16.5 % of DRI for Cu, B, and Mn, respectively, for young children. Contributions for other elements were negligible across serving sizes. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment indicated no health concerns at any intake level. This study examined the elemental composition of U.S. honey and its role as a safe, minor source of essential minerals.