Simplicity achieved for testing honey in a South African contract laboratory

Significance of the topic

Labserve Analytical Services expanded into honey analysis to meet market demand for import/export testing and to diversify services beyond water, fertilizers and environmental matrices. Reliable, rapid and accredited testing of honey sugars and related quality markers is critical for food authenticity, shelf-life prediction, regulatory compliance and commercial acceptance by large retailers. Automating assays using a discrete analyzer reduces labour, improves repeatability and shortens turnaround times—key advantages for contract laboratories operating under ISO 17025 and industry accreditation schemes.

Goals and study / case overview

The case study describes how Labserve, a South African contract laboratory, implemented the Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer to simplify and accelerate honey sugar analysis. Primary objectives included validation of assays for glucose, fructose and sucrose on the Gallery system, reducing analysis time compared with manual spectrophotometric methods, and expanding the laboratorys service portfolio to include a comprehensive honey testing package for commercial clients (including sugars, pesticides and antibiotics). Plans were stated to add further tests such as hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), acidity and alpha-amylase.

Methodology and key procedural elements

• Sample throughput and context: Labserve processes ~15,000 samples annually, predominantly water and fertilizer analyses; honey testing was introduced to broaden client base including import/export testing for Mauritius and South Africa.
• Analytical approach: Discrete photometric chemistry on the Gallery analyzer was used to measure sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose) previously determined by manual spectrophotometry. Calibration and validation routines were performed to ensure compliance with international standards expected by supermarket clients.
• Validation constraints: Procuring certified standards for validation can be time-consuming (up to eight weeks), which slows introduction of new validated assays for client approval.
• Operational workflow changes: The Gallery system enabled batching of assays using reagent kits, allowing economical testing when sufficient sample numbers are available.

Used instrumentation

• Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer: automated discrete photometric analyzer used to run sugar assays with prepackaged reagent kits.
• Manual spectrophotometer: previously used for the same assays; replaced by the Gallery to improve throughput and repeatability.

Main results and discussion

• Throughput and time savings: Tests that formerly required a week of manual work were completed within a single day using the Gallery analyzer, representing a substantial reduction in turnaround time.
• Analytical performance: Repeatability reported as excellent; discrete analysis provided consistent absorbance-based measurements across the calibration range (figure data indicate fructose calibration spanning 0–30 g/L with absorbance up to ~0.35).
• Operational reliability: No major equipment issues were reported; limited local servicing options make instrument reliability particularly important in the South African operational context.
• Quality and compliance: Validated determinations for glucose, fructose and sucrose support authentication (e.g., glucose/fructose ratio to detect adulteration and predict crystallization). Sucrose content typically <2% in authentic honey; higher values suggest adulteration or improper processing.
• Business implications: Automation made the Gallery system cost-effective when sample volumes justify reagent kit use; two primary operators plus two trained backups ensured operational resilience.

Benefits and practical applications of the method

• Faster throughput and reduced labour costs enable the lab to offer competitive turnaround for honey testing services to commercial clients, including supermarkets and exporters.
• Improved repeatability and standardized kits support compliance with regulatory and customer quality requirements under ISO 17025.
• Ability to expand test menus (sugars, pesticides, antibiotics and planned HMF, acidity, alpha-amylase) strengthens the laboratorys market position in food safety and quality testing for honey.
• Reduced analytical variability aids authenticity screening—critical for detecting adulteration (added glucose or cane sugar) and for labeling compliance.

Future trends and possibilities for application

• Integration of complementary assays: Adding HMF, acidity and enzyme activity (alpha-amylase) will enable fuller assessment of honey freshness, heat damage and botanical/geographical origin potentials.
• Expanded validation packages: Including pesticides and antibiotic residues alongside sugars will create turnkey export/import test panels required by retailers and regulatory bodies.
• Workflow optimization: Higher sample volumes could justify broader adoption of discrete analyzers and additional automation to further lower per-sample costs.
• Data-driven authenticity screening: Combining sugar ratios with other markers (HMF, isotopic analysis, pesticide profiles) can foster robust multi-parameter authenticity models supported by laboratory information management systems (LIMS).

Conclusion

Implementation of the Gallery discrete analyzer at Labserve considerably simplified honey sugar testing, delivering faster turnaround, excellent repeatability and improved operational efficiency. These gains support the laboratorys strategic goal of offering validated, market-relevant test panels for honey import/export testing. Remaining challenges include validation lead times for standards and the need to expand analyte coverage, but the case demonstrates clear practical benefits of discrete photometric automation in a contract laboratory setting operating under ISO 17025.

References

• Labserve Analytical Services case description and internal validation notes (Thermo Scientific Gallery discrete analyzer implementation).
• ISO/IEC 17025: general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories (context for accreditation compliance).