Determination and Fractionation of Metals in Honey

The composition of metals in honey is correlated with the type of plant species from which resources (nectar, pollen, propolis, honeydew) are collected and ripened by honey bees into honey. However, the botanical origin is strictly attributed to the geographical locality of an apiary, because the soil composition and the climatic conditions determine the presence of certain melliferous flowers and trees harvested by bees. The environmental pollution or other anthropogenic processes and effects should also be considered as an additional source of metals in honey, namely Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn. These metals may condemn the quality and food safety of honey, and exhibit a potential hazard to human health. The present literature survey reviews original works of the last decade which relate to the atomic and mass spectrometric analysis of honey on the presence of major, minor and trace metals. Different aspects of such analysis are treated in detail, including the methods of choice, calibration strategies, sample treatments, and preparation procedures applied. The suitability of the metals content for the classification of honey according to the botanical and geographical origins or indication and control of the environmental pollution are discussed.