Rapid, reliable and easy-to-perform chemometric-less method for rice syrup adulterated honey detection using FTIR-ATR.

The adulteration of honey (Apis mellifera) is a global problem due to its economic, commercial and health implications. The world's leading beekeeping organisation, APIMONDIA, considers that the detection of adulteration in honey is a problem that has not yet been resolved. This evidence of the importance of the intensive development of analytical techniques that allow the unequivocal detection of adulterants in honey, especially those whose use as honey adulterants has recently emerged. This work aims to develop a fast, easy-to-perform, low-cost analytical method to qualitatively and quantitatively determine rice syrup using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique with attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode without complex mathematical procedures and sophisticated sample preparation. This study involved the analysis of 256 intentionally rice-syrup-adulterated honey samples and 92 pure honey samples of bee multifloral honey from Spain. The method, based strictly on the determination of the absorbance directly from the samples, at 1013 cm-1 The methodology used no need for previous treatments or preparations and demonstrated the scope for the unequivocal detection of rice syrup in adulterated honey containing equal to or higher than 3% (m/m) or more of this adulterant. Using the Exponential Plus Linear model (r = 0.998) shows high accuracy and precision, in terms of relative error (0.32%, m/m) and coefficient of variation (1.4%). The results of this study have led to the establishment of a maximum absorbance threshold of 0.670 for honey without rice syrup.

Hyperspectral Microscopy Technology to Detect Syrups Adulteration of Endemic Guindo Santo and Quillay Honey Using Machine-Learning Tools.

Honey adulteration is a common practice that affects food quality and sale prices, and certifying the origin of the honey using non-destructive methods is critical. Guindo Santo and Quillay are fundamental for the honey production of Biobío and the Ñuble region in Chile. Furthermore, Guindo Santo only exists in this area of the world. Therefore, certifying honey of this species is crucial for beekeeper communities-mostly natives-to give them advantages and competitiveness in the global market. To solve this necessity, we present a system for detecting adulterated endemic honey that combines different artificial intelligence networks with a confocal optical microscope and a tunable optical filter for hyperspectral data acquisition. Honey samples artificially adulterated with syrups at concentrations undetectable to the naked eye were used for validating different artificial intelligence models. Comparing Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), Support vector machine (SVM), and Neural Network (NN), we reach the best average accuracy value with SVM of 93% for all classes in both kinds of honey. We hope these results will be the starting point of a method for honey certification in Chile in an automated way and with high precision.

Pesquisas de fraudes em méis no estado do Pará, Brasil / Research on fraud in honey in the state of Pará, Brazil

A adoção de práticas fraudulentas é comum na cadeia produtiva do mel e está associada à popularidade desse alimento e a dificuldade de detecção da adulteração do produto a olho nu ou por degustação. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se práticas fraudulentas são adotadas em méis comercializados no estado do Pará. Para a realização da pesquisa, 14 amostras comerciais de méis provenientes de 06 (seis) municípios, no estado do Pará foram submetidas às análises Lund, Fiehe, Lugol e melissopalinologia. Os resultados obtidos demostraram que 57,14% das amostras apresentaram alteração do precipitado para reação de Lund, indicando alteração no teor proteico. A coloração o azul intenso na reação de Lugol foi observada em 64,28% das amostras, indicando possível adição de amido. Ainda, 85,71% das amostras analisadas apresentaram mudança de coloração para a reação de Fiehe, indicando alteração no teor de hidroximetilfurfural. O conteúdo polínico foi observado em somente 35,71% das amostras e apenas 2,42% do total das amostras analisadas foram consideradas autenticas mediante as análises realizadas. Concluímos que os testes de autenticidade, quando aplicados em conjunto, foram capazes de detectar fraudes nas mostras de mel comercializadas no estado do Pará e que adulterações nos méis comercialmente disponíveis na região alvo do estudo são uma realidade.

The adoption of fraudulents practices is common in the honey production chain and is associated with the popularity of this food and the difficulty of detecting adulteration of the honey with the naked eye or by tasting. The objective of this work was to verify if fraudulent practices are adopted in honeys sold in the state of Pará. To carry out the research, 14 commercial samples of honeys from 06 (six) municipalities, in the state of Pará, were submitted to Lund, Fiehe, Lugol and melissopalinology. The results obtained showed 57.14% of the samples showed a change in the precipitate for Lund's reaction, indicating a change in protein content. The intense blue staining in the Lugol reaction was observed in 64.28% of the samples, indicating a possible addition of starch. In addition, 85.71% of the samples showed a color change for the Fiehe reaction, indicating a change in the hydroxymethylfurfural content. Pollen content was observed in only 35.71% of the samples and only 21.42% of the total samples analyzed were considered authentic through the analyzes performe. We conclude that the authenticity tests, when applied together, were able to detect fraud in honey samples marketed in the state of Pará and that adulterations in the honey commercially available in the target region of the study are a reality.

Pesquisas de fraudes em méis no estado do Pará, Brasil / Research on fraud in honey in the state of Pará, Brazil

A adoção de práticas fraudulentas é comum na cadeia produtiva do mel e está associada à popularidade desse alimento e a dificuldade de detecção da adulteração do produto a olho nu ou por degustação. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se práticas fraudulentas são adotadas em méis comercializados no estado do Pará. Para a realização da pesquisa, 14 amostras comerciais de méis provenientes de 06 (seis) municípios, no estado do Pará foram submetidas às análises Lund, Fiehe, Lugol e melissopalinologia. Os resultados obtidos demostraram que 57,14% das amostras apresentaram alteração do precipitado para reação de Lund, indicando alteração no teor proteico. A coloração o azul intenso na reação de Lugol foi observada em 64,28% das amostras, indicando possível adição de amido. Ainda, 85,71% das amostras analisadas apresentaram mudança de coloração para a reação de Fiehe, indicando alteração no teor de hidroximetilfurfural. O conteúdo polínico foi observado em somente 35,71% das amostras e apenas 2,42% do total das amostras analisadas foram consideradas autenticas mediante as análises realizadas. Concluímos que os testes de autenticidade, quando aplicados em conjunto, foram capazes de detectar fraudes nas mostras de mel comercializadas no estado do Pará e que adulterações nos méis comercialmente disponíveis na região alvo do estudo são uma realidade.(AU)

The adoption of fraudulents practices is common in the honey production chain and is associated with the popularity of this food and the difficulty of detecting adulteration of the honey with the naked eye or by tasting. The objective of this work was to verify if fraudulent practices are adopted in honeys sold in the state of Pará. To carry out the research, 14 commercial samples of honeys from 06 (six) municipalities, in the state of Pará, were submitted to Lund, Fiehe, Lugol and melissopalinology. The results obtained showed 57.14% of the samples showed a change in the precipitate for Lund's reaction, indicating a change in protein content. The intense blue staining in the Lugol reaction was observed in 64.28% of the samples, indicating a possible addition of starch. In addition, 85.71% of the samples showed a color change for the Fiehe reaction, indicating a change in the hydroxymethylfurfural content. Pollen content was observed in only 35.71% of the samples and only 21.42% of the total samples analyzed were considered authentic through the analyzes performe. We conclude that the authenticity tests, when applied together, were able to detect fraud in honey samples marketed in the state of Pará and that adulterations in the honey commercially available in the target region of the study are a reality.(AU)