Quality control of honey with NIR spectroscopy

Importance of the topic

Honey quality assessment is critical for producers, distributors, and consumers to ensure authenticity, taste consistency, and compliance with international standards. Traditional methods for sugar profiling and color measurement are time-consuming and resource-intensive. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) offers a rapid, solvent-free alternative capable of simultaneous multi-parameter analysis, aligning with current demands for high throughput and cost efficiency in food quality control.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study evaluates the use of NIRS to determine honey color and sugar composition—including glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, and turanose—within seconds and without sample preparation. The goal is to develop robust prediction models and compare NIRS performance against established reference techniques (HPLC for sugars and Pfund colorimetry for color).

Methodology and Instrumentation

The experimental setup employed the OMNIS NIR Analyzer Solid operating in transflection mode over 1000–2250 nm with a 2 mm reflector gap and 28 mm disposable vials. Data acquisition and model development were performed in OMNIS Software. Reference analyses comprised high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for individual sugars and a Pfund colorimeter for color on the Pfund scale (0–140 mm).

Main Results and Discussion

Calibration models demonstrated strong correlation with reference methods:

• Sucrose: R2 = 0.917, SEP ≈ 0.25 %
• Glucose: R2 = 0.781, SEP ≈ 1.52 %
• Turanose: R2 = 0.665, SEP ≈ 0.33 %
• Maltose: R2 = 0.557, SEP ≈ 0.30 %
• Fructose: R2 = 0.527, SEP ≈ 0.64 %
• Color: R2 = 0.578, SEP ≈ 14.58 mm

This performance indicates that sucrose and glucose can be quantified with high precision, while disaccharides and color exhibit moderate predictive accuracy. The entire panel of analytes can be measured in under 10 seconds per sample.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Using NIRS for honey analysis delivers several advantages:

• No sample preparation or solvents required, reducing consumables and waste.
• Single-instrument workflow for simultaneous determination of multiple parameters.
• Rapid throughput (seconds per measurement) supports high-volume quality screening.
• Minimal operator training needed compared to chromatographic methods.

These features make NIRS an attractive tool for routine quality control in beekeeping, food processing, and regulatory laboratories.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Advancements in chemometric algorithms and spectral databases are expected to further improve prediction accuracy for minor constituents and color classification. Integration of NIRS probes into processing lines could enable real-time monitoring of honey batches. Additionally, expanding calibration to cover a wider range of floral origins and geographical variations will enhance the method’s universality and support authentication efforts.

Conclusion

NIRS using the OMNIS NIR Analyzer Solid provides a fast, reliable approach for simultaneous quantification of honey sugars and color, delivering substantial time and cost savings over conventional methods. Its ease of use and minimal operational requirements position it as a practical solution for modern honey quality control.

References

1. Kolayli S, Boukraâ L, Sahin H, et al. Sugars in Honey. In: Dietary Sugars: Chemistry, Analysis, Function and Effects. 2012;3–15.