Evaluating Honey Adulteration Through Physicochemical Characterization and Liquid Chromatography-Mass...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Sidr honey (Ziziphus spina-christi) is highly valued for its nutritional and therapeutic qualities.
• High market demand makes Sidr honey prone to adulteration with cheaper sugar syrups, risking authenticity and consumer safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of corn, date, and agave syrup adulteration on the physicochemical properties and sugar profiles of Kuwaiti Sidr honey.
• To develop and validate an integrated analytical approach for detecting syrup adulteration in Sidr honey.

Main Methods:

• Physicochemical analyses including pH, free acidity (FA), electrical conductivity (EC), and moisture content.
• Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for targeted sugar profiling, quantifying fructose (F), glucose (G), F/G ratio, and total sugars (F+G).

Main Results:

• Adulteration did not significantly alter pH or moisture content.
• Free acidity was significantly affected only by corn syrup adulteration; electrical conductivity varied significantly with syrup type.
• Corn syrup decreased total and F/G sugars, date syrup increased them modestly, while agave syrup markedly increased both.

Conclusions:

• The integrated approach combining physicochemical tests and LC-MS sugar profiling effectively detects syrup adulteration in Sidr honey.
• This methodology enhances honey authentication, safeguards consumers, and promotes market transparency.