QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF HONEY USING MODERN ANALYTICAL TOOLS

The quality of eighteen honey samples collected from the Western district of Saudi Arabia was assessed according to the International Honey regulatory standards using modern analytical methods. A number of quality criteria were measured to determine the botanical and geographical origin of honey. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) as an adulteration marker was analyzed and detected quantitatively via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The moisture content was assessed by Karl Fisher coulometric method using an automatic potentiometric titrator. While, mineral content and toxic heavy metal ions were determined using an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) technique after microwave digestion. All the investigated honey samples were of good quality. The elements with the highest frequency were K, Se, and Cd. High content of Cd and Se were found in samples (7 and 9). The maximum residues limit of the most dangerous metal for the human health lead was below European Standards.