COLUMBIA FOOD LABORATORIES

Analyses

• Pesticides
      Chlordimeform      Coumaphos      Fenpyroximate
      Fluvalinate            Amitraz
• Antibiotics
      Chloramphenicol    Chlortetracycline
      Oxytetracycline      Tetracycline
      Streptomycin
      Tylosin
• Diastase (Amylase)
• Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)
• Hydroxydecenoic acid, in royal jelly (10-HDA)
• Moisture, by refractometer
• Sugar Profile
      Fructose      Glucose
      Maltose        Sucrose
      Maltotriose   Maltotetrose
      Melezitose    Raffinose
      Fructose/Glucose Ratio
• UF Profile ("Ultrafiltered" sweetener)
• Microbiological analysis
      APC               Coliforms
      Salmonella      Yeast & Mold (standard culture & osmophilic)

Capabilities

Chloramphenicol
Trace levels of the antibiotic chloramphenicol have been found in a number of batches of honey, especially from Asia. Although the levels being found are very low, due to it's toxicity it is considered an illegal contaminant at any level. Most countries are now testing down to a level of 0.3 ppb. Several analytical methodologies have emerged to enable reaching these low levels. At Columbia Food Laboratories we have set up analytical methods using two of these techniques:

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)
This is a quantitative screening method with a lower detection limit of 0.3 ppb. It is widely used in Europe and appears to be highly regarded. Due to the nature of this type of assay, false positives are a slight possibility. False negatives are less likely. We have found a few instances where this method has given a false positive result in honey at or below the 1 ppb level, although recent improvements in the ELISA kits seem to have reduced this possibility. To keep the cost of this test to a minimum, we are not attempting to quantitate levels above 10 ppb, but will report such results as ">10 ppb" (greater than 10 ppb).
    P176  Chloramphenicol (by ELISA)    Price: $85/sample

HPLC/MS (high pressure liquid chromatography / mass spectroscopy)
This is a highly specific quantitative method with a minimum quantitation limit of 0.3 ppb. We use high resolution time-of-flight MS, therefore, the identification of CAP can be made with much greater certainty. Often our customers use this method as a test upgrade to confirm samples which test positive by ELISA. Due to the additional time required for sample preparation and the high cost of the instrumentation involved, this method is more expensive to perform.
    P177  Chloramphenicol (by HPLC/MS)    Price: $180/sample

Adulteration
Because of the high value of pure honey, adulteration may be a concern. There are a number of ways by which honey could be adulterated. The most common is probably the addition of some type of sugar syrup. Various tests exist to aid in the detection of adulteration, although none of them are completely reliable in all cases. There are those who will try to find ways to beat the system, and analysts will continue looking for ways to detect it. Our sugar profile (N761) has been expanded to include several oligosaccharides. This addition improves on the profile's ability to detect adulteration with sugar syrups, especially when combined with the SIRA test. Please call us to discuss details if you have a need to test for adulteration of honey.

 

External links concerning honey

Colony Collapse Disorder - USDA Questions and Answers, December 2010

        Florida First State to Establish "Standard of Identity" for Honey, July 2009

Honey Quality and International Regulatory Standards
FDA Seizes Adulterated Honey, February 2003