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Honey Testing Services 

 

Honey, a naturally complex food, is celebrated for its nutritional, medicinal, and commercial value. However, with increasing demand comes a rise in challenges such as adulteration, contamination, and mislabeling. Today, ensuring the quality of honey requires a multi-disciplinary testing approach—covering chemical, botanical, microbial, and molecular parameters—guided by global and national standards from FSSAI (India), Codex Alimentarius, EU, Gulf countries, and the US FDA.

YMC offers a comprehensive testing program that ensures honey meets purity, safety, authenticity, and export requirements.

 

Why Honey Testing is Essential

 

Public Health Concerns

• Sugar Adulteration: Use of sugar syrups (e.g., HFCS, invert sugar) degrades honey’s nutritional value and poses health risks with prolonged use.

• Antibiotic Residues: Unauthorized antibiotics like chloramphenicol or streptomycin in beekeeping can lead to allergic reactions and antimicrobial resistance.

• Heavy Metals: Environmental pollutants like lead and arsenic can contaminate honey, harming neurological and organ health.

• Microbial Threats: Contamination with Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella, or mold reduces shelf life and may lead to foodborne illness.

• Infant Botulism: Infants under one year should not consume honey due to the risk of Clostridium botulinum spore germination.

 

Industry Challenges

• Widespread Adulteration: Syrups mimic real honey in appearance, making fraud detection difficult.

• Labeling Fraud: False claims on floral type or origin damage trust and violate regulations.

• Export Compliance: Failing residue or adulteration tests leads to rejection and economic loss.

• Traceability: Global buyers demand batch-level traceability to verify authenticity.

 

Purpose of Honey Testing

ObjectivePurpose

Authenticity VerificationDetect adulterants and confirm floral/geographical origin

Consumer SafetyEnsure absence of harmful microbes, toxins, and chemical residues

Regulatory ComplianceMeet FSSAI, Codex, EU, and Gulf country standards

Export CertificationSupport trade, customs clearance, and international market access

Brand ReputationEstablish trust through transparent, traceable quality assurance

 

Regulatory Standards: FSSAI Limits for Honey

ParameterLimit

AntibioticsNot permitted (e.g., chloramphenicol, tetracyclines)

Sucrose Content≤ 5% (for raw honey)

Fructose-Glucose Ratio≥ 1.0

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)≤ 40 mg/kg (processed), ≤ 80 mg/kg (tropical regions)

Moisture Content≤ 20% (general), ≤ 25% (Heather honey)

Pesticide ResiduesMust comply with FSSAI’s MRLs (e.g., ≤ 0.01 mg/kg for most pesticides)

Foreign Matter≤ 0.1%

Diastase Activity≥ 3 Schade units (raw), ≥ 8 DN (processed)

 

Comprehensive Testing Parameters by YMC

 

1. Physicochemical Tests

• Moisture %, pH, ash content, colour

• Electrical conductivity, HMF

• Diastase and invertase activity

 

2. Sugar Profiling

• Fructose, glucose, sucrose levels

• Reducing and total sugars

 

3. Adulteration Detection

• SCIRA: Isotope analysis to distinguish C3/C4 sugars

• NMR: Identifies sugar syrup adulteration patterns

• Detection of oligosaccharide markers in artificial syrups

 

4. Residue and Contaminant Analysis

• Antibiotics: Streptomycin, chloramphenicol, nitrofurans

• Pesticides: Organochlorines, neonicotinoids

• Heavy Metals: Arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead

 

5. Microbiological Analysis

• Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella, yeast, mould, E. coli

 

6. Botanical and Pollen Analysis

• Melissopalynology: Microscopic analysis for floral and geographic source verification

 

7. Nutritional Labelling

• Energy value, sugar content, protein, minerals

 

Advanced Testing Technologies at YMC

 

TechnologyApplication

LC-MS/MSUltra-sensitive residue testing (antibiotics, pesticides)

GC-MSDetection of volatile compounds for flavour and fraud analysis

NMR SpectroscopyAdulteration detection and origin verification

FTIR SpectroscopyQuick sugar syrup screening

SCIRADetects corn syrup and other C4 sugar adulterants

PCR & ELISAMicrobial DNA detection and allergen screening

 

How YMC Supports Honey Producers & Exporters

 

Adulteration Profiling

• Identification of added glucose, HFCS, and rice syrup

• C3/C4 sugar differentiation via isotope testing

• NMR fingerprinting for origin and floral source validation

 

Residue & Contaminant Testing

• Full pesticide screening as per EU and Codex

• Antibiotic screening for banned veterinary drugs

• Heavy metal detection using ICP-MS and AAS

 

Microbiological Safety

• Detection of harmful microbes and spoilage organisms per ISO and FSSAI

 

Pollen & Botanical Analysis

• Microscopic classification of mono- and polyfloral honey

• Verification of geographic origin (for export/trade claims)

 

Label and Nutritional Verification

• Nutrient content analysis for compliance and marketing

• Real-time and accelerated shelf-life profiling

 

Export & Regulatory Compliance

• Certificates for FSSAI, EU, and Gulf market regulations

• Batch-wise documentation for customs and buyer requirements

• Traceability and quality assurance audits

 

Why Choose YMC for Honey Testing?

• Global Reach: ISO/IEC 17025-accredited labs across India, Gulf, and Europe

• Harmonized Protocols: Globally accepted testing standards (Codex, EU, FSSAI, FDA)

• All-in-One Testing: Adulteration, residue, microbiology, authenticity—under one roof

• Fast TAT: Expedited testing and reporting for exports

• Scientific Excellence: NMR, SCIRA, residue specialists and regulatory consultants

• Digital Traceability: Real-time test tracking and secure online result portals

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