Page 38 - FoodFocusThailand No.154 January 2019

STRONG QC &
STRONG QC & QAQA

Applying Isotope Techniques for

Identifying Adulteration of Honey

What is Pure Honey? What is Fake, Impure or Adulterated Honey? Do you know the difference between fake and
pure honey? Without knowing how to check purity of honey, it will be difficult to tell and identify the difference. A
stable isotope of carbon technique in sugar and protein of honey samples can be applied to identify the adulteration
of honey used sugar from C4 plants such as sugar cane or fructose corn syrup.

At a present, honey products have been widely used in the ingredient Adulteration of honey used sugar from C4 plants can be
of beverage, food, cosmetics and medicine. In Thailand, honey has been calculated by equation:
taken to produce in a variously commercial by distribution in domestic
and abroad. In each year, they can make a lot of money for bee keepers.
The origin of honey in Thailand come from many locations therefore it is
very difficult to control quality production. The most consumers want to Stable isotope ratio analysis showed the result of 11 honey
get pure and natural honey. samples that A1 was -20 ‰ VPDB higher than -23.5 ‰ VPDB so that
Honey adulteration is the main problem to effect honey industry of A1 sample contaminated sugar from C4 plants while the other samples
Thailand. It is very effective to reliability of consumer therefore were pure honey. The Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT)
identification of honey adulteration is very important for authentication. has developed a technique of stable isotope ratio analysis for C
Plants that are sources of substances used for honey adulteration in honey and protein which can help approve the difference between
can be classified as C3 and C4 plants that fix atmospheric CO using the fake and pure honey.
2
Calvin (C3) cycle, and they have a lower C/ C ratio than C4 plants that However, if standards are set for stable isotope ratio analysis for
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fix CO using the Hatch-Slack (C4) cycle. Most of the honey-contributing grades of honey in Thailand, consumers and distributors of Thai
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C3 plants. In Thailand, adulteration of honey will be mainly used sugar honey will be confident in the long run. This will make the honey
from C4 plants such as sugar cane because of low price. products more difficult to adulterate and compete fairly as well
Stable isotope techniques in sugar and protein of honey samples can as the price is better because there is no such thing as price
be applied to identify the adulteration of honey by using EA-IRMS. The undercutting.
standard value of C should be lower than -23.5 ‰ VPDB in honey
and different between C in honey and protein should be less than
1 ‰ VPDB indicating pure honey.
Stable isotope ratio measurements have high accuracy of
0.2 ‰. Stable carbon isotope ratios can be calculated by equation:

Different stable carbon isotope ratios between in protein and
honey can be calculated by equation:

38 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND JAN 2019

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