Publications

Many beekeepers and processors have had to deal with fermenting honey in the past. It is caused by naturally occurring yeasts growing in the honey, and high moisture content is a key risk factor which makes fermentation more likely. This article describes why honey ferments, and provides some ideas about how to manage the risk of it happening.

The C4 sugar test is a general qualification procedure for marketed honey. Current standards limit the amount of C4 sugars in honey to 7%. Most floral types of honey produce stable C4 sugar test results over the period of their shelf life. High-quality mānuka honeys were shown to inflate their C4 sugar content when stored, whereby significantly devaluing the product. This effect is exacerbated by the practice of ‘ripening’ fresh honeys, especially by heating. We at Analytica did a thorough investigation on that phenomenon and came up with a kinetic model, which reliably forecasts the change in apparent C4 sugar in mānuka honeys.

Recent honey adulteration scandals in Australia around addition of C3 rice and beet syrups used to stretch honey yields remind us that the honey industry is only as good as its lowest common denominator. If we play the game well, we all win. If some of us go ‘rogue’, then the entire industry will suffer. It only takes a few rotten apples.

The single most common lab test requested for mānuka honey is the ‘3-in-1’ test, which measures concentrations of DHA, MGO, and HMF in honey. This article provides a brief history of testing the grade of mānuka honey. It describes how DHA and MGO test results change over time, and how they are used to help with grading and valuing of honey.

Honey is one of the most commonly adulterated foods in the world, and overseas countries or buyers often want confidence the honey being sold to them is authentic. The United Nations publishes an international standard for honey as part of its Codex Alimentarius (CODEX) range of standards, and this is widely referred to when checking for honey authenticity. Many of the tests that can be asked for in honey—including things like C4 Sugars, diastase, HMF, moisture, and conductivity—arise from this CODEX standard. This article gives an overview of what it contains, so you have a better idea of why you may be asked for such a range of honey test results.

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide (weed-killer). Residues of glyphosate have been found in honey globally, and as a result some countries and/or consumers have an interest in this being measured. This article briefly covers the history of glyphosate use, and some recent international developments that have increased consumer and media awareness.

Diastase is the common name for an enzyme called alpha amylase. The role of this enzyme is to break up complex carbohydrates like starch into smaller sugars that can be more easily metabolised. Bees add diastase to nectar during feeding, although as there is no starch in nectar, it is not clear why this function has evolved.

In honey, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is used as an indicator of aging and heat treatment. HMF is commonly tested for as part of the mānuka 3-in-1 test along with DHA (dihydroxyacetone) and MGO (methylglyoxal). International standards, including CODEX, specify that honey should contain no more than 40 mg/kg of HMF (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2001).

Pollen count is a test that identifies what pollen types are present in a honey sample and how much pollen in total is in a sample. This test can be used to help understand where bees have been foraging to predict what nectar has been used in making the honey.

You will get the best possible information from laboratory testing by sending a sample that is a good representation of the honey it has been taken from. The better job you can do of this, the lower the risk that future tests from the same batch will give you an unexpected result.