Botanical origin discrimination of Greek honeys: physicochemical parameters versus Raman spectroscopy

BACKGROUND The authenticity of honey is of high importance since it affects its commercial value. The discrimination of the origin of honey is of prime importance to reinforce consumer trust. In this study, four chemometric models were developed based on the physicochemical parameters according to European and Greek legislation and one using Raman spectroscopy to discriminate Greek honey samples from three commercial monofloral botanical sources. RESULTS The results of physicochemical (glucose, fructose, electrical activity) parameters chemometric models showed that the percentage of correct recognition fluctuated from 92.2% to 93.8% with cross-validation 90.6-92.2%, and the placement of test set was 79.0-84.3% successful. The addition of maltose content in the previous discrimination models did not significantly improve the discrimination. The corresponding percentages of the Raman chemometric model were 95.3%, 90.6%, and 84.3%. CONCLUSION The five chemometric models developed presented similar and very satisfactory results. Given that the recording of Raman spectra is simple, fast, a minimal amount of sample is needed for the analysis, no solvent (environmentally friendly) is used, and no specialized personnel are required, we conclude that the chemometric model based on Raman spectroscopy is an efficient tool to discriminate the botanical origin of fir, pine, and thyme honey varieties. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Automated summary

In this study, five chemometric models were developed to discriminate Greek honey samples from three commercial monofloral botanical sources based on physicochemical parameters and Raman spectroscopy. The chemometric models showed high correct recognition rates, with the Raman model achieving the highest percentages. The efficient and environmentally friendly nature of Raman spectroscopy makes it a valuable tool for discriminating the botanical origin of different honey varieties.