According to the European Union's report on food fraud and the control thereof, honey was listed as one of the top ten most frequently adulterated foods. Others, such as wine, milk, fruit juice, coffee and tea, spices and grains, fish, olive oil, and organic foods, were also pointed out as high-risk food fraud items in Europe.
Honey is adulterated when ingredients of a lower economic value are added to honey; this is classified as economically motivated adulteration (EMA). Honey authenticity is two-factored. Firstly, it is related to the geographical or botanical origin of the honey, which is determined via the microscopic analysis of the pollen spectrum. Secondly, authenticity is influenced by adulteration, either by feeding the bees excessive sugar or through the addition of sugars to the honey during processing.
In addition to assessing if honey is adulterated, the regulations relating to the grading, packing, and marking of honey and mixtures of bee products intended for sale in the Republic of South Africa include quality parameters that are required to be monitored.
Analysing for honey adulteration
There are no laboratories in South Africa which are SANAS accredited to analyse the adulteration of honey. As a solution, SciCorp Laboratory, has partnered with Eurofins Dr. Specht Laboratory, an internationally accredited laboratory in Germany, which can assist with the analysis required to identify adulteration.
Currently, the analysis for adulteration includes the levels of C4 and C3 sugars. C4 sugars are derived from sugarcane and grasses, while C3 sugars are derived from nectar, sugar beet, and rice sugars, along with testing for foreign enzymes such as α-amylases (diastase surrogates), syrup-specific Oligosaccharides, rice and beet syrup markers, and colour tests (E150 a&d).
Additional standard tests include hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and moisture content. HMF is an organic compound formed by reducing sugars in honey and other foods in acidic environments when heated. HMF is used to indicate honey processing and storage conditions.
SciCorp's Testing Services
SciCorp is registered with DALRRD (Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development) and holds SANAS ISO 17025 accreditation for GMO, microbiological, and molecular testing in food, feed, and seed methods. Our testing portfolio spans ISTA-accredited physical seed testing, molecular plant breeding support, authenticity verification, GMO detection, and comprehensive chemical and food safety analyses. Additionally, SciCorp offers a range of products for clients' in-house testing needs, including the Path-Chek® line for food pathogens, lateral flow sticks for allergens and mycotoxins, ELISA and LFS kits for GMO testing, and Anchor germination paper for seed testing.
