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CURRENT ISSUES AND TRENDSOF HONEY QUALITY IN THEGLOBAL HONEY MARKET

Dr. Lutz Elflein

Intertek Food Services, Bremen, Germany

http://www.intertek.com


Contents

• The Global Honey Market:• Production Quantities / Prices, Exports, Imports• Impact on Honey Quality

• Factors affecting Honey Quality and Marketability:• Residues (Antibiotics, Pesticides, Wax Moth Control Agents, Bee

Repellents, Volatile Hydrocarbons)• Adulteration with Sugar Syrups• GMO Pollen• Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids• Geographical and Botanical Origin, Labeling• Commercial Analysis (HMF, Enzyme Activities, Proline, Glycerol)



Global Honey Market: Honey Production

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250000

300000

350000

400000

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500000Production (tons) 2011 Production (tons) 2010 Production (tons) 2009

Top 40 Countries Production 2009-2011, source: FAO



Global Honey Market: Honey Production

Honey Producer Prices 2008-2010, source: FAO

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USD/ton 2010 USD/ton 2009 USD/ton 2008



Global Honey Market: Honey Exports

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Top 40 Countries Exports 2010 (tons), source FAO



Global Honey Market: Honey Imports

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Top 40 Countries Imports 2010 (tons), source FAO



Market Factors Influencing Honey Quality

Challenges:• Low retail prices for commercial honey blends• Low profit margin for commercial honey blends• Demanding requirements for honey specialties and premium honeys• Difficulty in obtaining raw honeys at reasonable (payable) prices• Increasing overall demand for honey supply (ingredient, replacement for sugar)• Increasing shortage of supply (climate, bee diseases, CCD)• Globally fluctuating sources depending on current market situation• Less long-term relationships between suppliers and packers• Increased testing requirements / costs to ensure quality and marketability• Different standards / requirements for honey in different countries• Different consumer expectations regarding honey in different countries• Third countries need to be approved for imports to EU (Third Country List)



Honey Quality: Residues

Antibiotics:• Preventive (or acute) treatment of e.g. Foulbrood, Nosema• Generally not allowed in Europe (zero tolerance)• EU: legal basis for MRL/RPA (reference points of action) has been

established, but hampered by current political intent and by lack of /difficulties in determining residue depletion and withdrawal periods.

• Some substances (e.g. oxytetracycline, fumagillin) allowed in a fewcountries (e.g. USA, Brazil, Argentina), but usually not during honeyflow and also zero-tolerance for non authorized substances

• Many other (third) countries: no clear regulation at all• No internationally harmonized procedure for official control of residues

(guidance values, action limits, RPA, WRL, PMRL, AMRL, etc.)• National food safety authorities have different handling procedures• Often individual case decisions, each case can be different• Strong difference in residue occurrence between different countries• Thus, testing has to be risk oriented according to country of origin, the

final use and destination



Antibiotics: Notifications / Alerts, RASFF

RASFF PortalSearch criteria | Notified from 01/01/2012 | Notified till 28/08/2013 | Product category honey and royal jelly

date reference notificationbasis

notifiedby origin subject distribution action taken

honey and royal jelly23.01.2012 2012.0121 official control

on the marketUnitedKingdom

from NewZealand

prohibited substance nitrofuran(metabolite) nitrofurazone (SEM) (1.1µg/kg - ppb)

UnitedKingdom

informingauthorities

21.05.2012 2012.0681 official controlon the market

UnitedKingdom

from NewZealand

prohibited substance nitrofuran(metabolite) nitrofurazone (SEM) (1,2µg/kg - ppb)

UnitedKingdom

no action taken


Slovakia from Poland sulfamethoxazole (10.2 µg/kg - ppb)unauthorised in acacia honey fromPoland

Slovakia withdrawal fromthe market

03.08.2012 2012.1118 border control -consignmentreleased

Germany from Mexico sulfathiazole (34.2 µg/kg - ppb)unauthorised in honey from Mexico

Germany detained byoperator


Slovakia from Poland sulfamethoxazole (13 µg/kg - ppb)unauthorised in acacia honey fromPoland

Slovakia withdrawal fromthe market


Slovakia from Poland sulfathiazole (4.1 µg/kg - ppb) andsulfadimidine (6.3 µg/kg - ppb)unauthorised in forest honey fromPoland, with raw material from Spain

Slovakia withdrawal fromthe marketraw material

from Spain

17.04.2013 2013.0555 border control -consignmentreleased

Germany from Mexico oxytetracycline (2.4 µg/kg - ppb)unauthorised in honey from Mexico

Germany informingauthorities



Import Alert 36-03: Contamination with ChloramphenicolImport Alert 36-04: Contamination with Fluoroquinolones

http://www.fda.gov/forindustry/importprogram/importalerts/default.htm

Antibiotics: import alerts from FDA (USA)

Companies Origin Publishing Date********** China 2009, 2010********** Hong Kong 2013********** India 2011, 2012, 2013********** Malaysia 2009, 2010********** Mexico 2009********** Moldovia 2013********** Mongolia 2009********** Russia 2013********** Thailand 2009, 2012********** Vietnam 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013




Antibiotic Residues in Honey, Trends 2008-2012

Group Substance

% % % % %

TrendTotal

positiveTotal

positiveTotal

positiveTotal

positiveTotal

positive

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Aminoglycosides Streptomycin,Dihydrostreptomycin 12,1 21,2 17,1 10,1 7,0 decrease

Sulfonamides Sulfathiazole, Sulfamethazineetc. 12,5 16,5 15,4 11,1 10,9 ± constant

Diaminopyrimidines Trimethoprim 4,1 4,9 3,4 2,5 1,7 slightdecrease

Tetracyclines Oxytetracycline, Tetracycline 20,4 18,7 17,9 11,0 16,2 increase

Fluoroquinolones Norfloxacin, Ofloxacin etc. 24,1 17,2 10,2 5,9 10,6 increase

Macrolides Tylosin, Erythromycin,Lincomycin 12,0 14,1 10,4 7,7 4,6 decrease



Antibiotic Residues in Honey, Trends 2008-2012

Group Prohibited Substance

% % % % %

TrendTotalpositive

Totalpositive

Totalpositive

Totalpositive

Totalpositive

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol 7,5 3,3 3,5 2,1 2,8 slight increase

Nitroimidazoles

Metronidazole 11,6 9,0 5,0 8,7 9,7 slight increase

Ronidazole 0 0 0,7 0 0,1 ± constant

Dimetridazole 0 0 0 0 0,1 ± constant

Nitrofuran-Metabolites

AHD 0 0 0 0 0 ± constant

AMOZ 0,2 0 0,1 0 0,1 ± constant

AOZ 1,8 2,8 2,0 1,6 1,7 ± constant

SEM 0,7 1,1 2,7 3,2 1,6 slightdecrease



Antibiotic Residue Concentrations - 2012

Group Substance

% % % % % % %

0.1-2 µg/kg 2-5 µg/kg 5-10µg/kg

10-100µg/kg

100-200µg/kg

> 200µg/kg

Totalpositive

Aminoglycosides Streptomycin,Dihydrostreptomycin 0,0 2,9 1,7 1,8 0,3 0,4 7,0

Sulfonamides Sulfathiazole,Sulfamethazine etc. 0,2 4,2 2,3 3,4 0,4 0,5 10,9

Diaminopyrimidines Trimethoprim 0,0 0,8 0,4 0,4 0,0 0,1 1,7

Tetracyclines Oxytetracycline,Tetracycline 0,3 3,8 2,9 7,2 1,0 1,0 16,2

Fluoroquinolones Norfloxacin, Ofloxacinetc. 4,3 2,0 1,7 2,4 0,2 0,0 10,6

Macrolides Tylosin, Erythromycin,Lincomycin 1,3 1,3 0,6 1,2 0,0 0,1 4,6



Antibiotic Residue Concentrations - 2012

Group Prohibited Substance

% % % % %

0.05-0.3µg/kg

0.3-0.5µg/kg

0.5-1.0µg/kg > 1.0 µg/kg Total

positive

Chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol 0,5 0,5 0,6 1,2 2,8

Nitroimidazoles

Metronidazole 1,0 1,7 1,5 5,6 9,7

Ronidazole 0 0 0 0,1 0,1

Dimetridazole 0 0,04 0,04 0 0,1

Nitrofuran-Metabolites

AHD 0 0 0 0 0

AMOZ 0 0 0,06 0 0,1

AOZ 0,2 0,5 0,4 0,7 1,7

SEM 0 0,1 0,8 0,8 1,6



Antibiotics: Residues per Country

Example: Ukraine (stated origin)




Pesticides / Varroacides:• Residues are not a major issue, rarely MRL exceedances• Use of classical varroacides (coumaphos fluvalinate, amitraz) decreases (16%

positives, no MRL exceedances except for fluvalinate, chlorfenvinphos)• Increasing cross-contamination from agricultural pesticide use (6% non-

compliant with legal MRLs, 30% of claimed organic samples positive)

Carbendazim important for Vietnamese honeys and exports to USA!

0,5%0,5%0,5%0,5%0,5%0,5%1,8%3,2%

5,5%20,9%

32,7%53,2%

CarbendazimImidacloprid

PermethrinPiperonylbutoxide

tau-FluvalinateTetramethrin

DimethoatAzoxystrobinAcetamiprid

AmitrazCoumaphosThiacloprid

0,0% 10,0% 20,0% 30,0% 40,0% 50,0% 60,0%

Most detected pesticidesin honey 2012 (n~1400)




Wax Moth Control agents:Para-Dichlorobenzene:• 16% positives above MRL (0.01 mg/kg)• Formerly only found in GR and AUS honeys, nowadays mainly in MX honeys, but also for

GT, UY, BR

Naphthalene:• 5% positives above MRL (0.01 mg/kg)• Mostly samples from TR affected, also BG, RO

Both substances highly accumulate in wax (in the mg/kg range)!

Etylene dibromide: no positives




Bee Repellents:Phenol:• Approx. 4% positives > 10 µg/kg in honey, mostly MX origin• Can negatively affect honey flavor

DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide):• Caused residues in honey in recent years, e.g. in Germany 2011, but use was ceased• Still some positives in wax

Butyric anhydride/acid:• no positives found in recent years, not used anymore

Benzaldehyde (BA) / Phenylacetaldehyde (PAA):• Difficult differentiation between natural content (aroma compound) and residue due to

repellent application• Concentrations usually < 1mg/kg (BA ave. 0.13 mg/kg; PAA ave. 0.34 mg/kg)• Higher natural concentrations possible for MX and FR honeys (<5 mg/kg)




Volatile Hydrocarbons:• Drums contaminated with petrochemicals• 14% of tested honey samples contained residues > 10 µg/kg• Toluene and n-octane can occur individually as natual aroma compounds

1%1%1%1%

3%3%

5%6%

8%9%10%

12%12%

14%15%

17%22%22%

32%63%

m/p-XylolMethylcyclohexan

n-Butano--Xylol

2-Methylpentan + 2,3-DimethylhexanEthylbenzene

n-OctanBenzol

2,4-Dimethylpentan2,2-Dimethylbutan

2,3-Dimethylpentan3-Methylhexan

Cyclohexan + 2-Methylhexann-Heptann-Pentan

iso-Pentan (2-Methylbutan)3-Methylpentan

Toluoln-Hexan

Methylcyclopentan

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Most frequentlydetected volatile HC



Honey Quality: Adulteration

Adulteration with Sugar Syrups:Commodity USD/ton Adulterant in HoneyHoney ~2100-5000Corn Syrup ~200-500 Asia, Europe, AmericasBeet Syrup ~350-700 Asia, Europe, AmericasRice Syrup ~500-700 Asia, Europe (Imports)Tapioca Syrup ~600-900 Asia, Europe (Imports)Agave Syrup ~200-350 AmericasDate Syrup ~1300 UAE (Sidr Honey)

• Sugar syrup is 10-50% cheaper than honey• Economically motivated adulteration• Production inrease despite of shortage in honey supply



Honey Adulteration in the Media

Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn’t Honey…(Food Safety News, November 7, 2011)

The Most Adulterated Food Products: Olive Oil, Milk, Honey…(Journal of Food Science Vol. 77, Nr. 4, 2012)

Misleading labels, false country of origin, and additional sugar are all problemsplaguing 10 percent of honey controlled and marketed in France…(RFI News, May 18, 2013)

China- Police Discovered Honey Made Without Bees(CCTV News, June 17, 2013)

Presently up to 60 or 70% of honey on the market is fake…(Jinan Times, July 31, 2013)

Sugars-Adulteration and Antibiotics Residues Detected in Honey…(Hong-Kong Consumer Council, Choice Magazine # 441 (July 15, 2013)



Honey Adulteration in the Media

Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA)

Honey Laundering (Transshipment)

Source: National Center for Food Protection and Defense (DHS/FDA/USDA), FoodShield.org



Import Alert 36-01 "Adulteration of honey"


Adulteration: import alerts from FDA (USA)

Company Origin Publishing Date********** Malysia 2 October 2012********** New Zealand 12 June 2012********** New Zealand 21 May 2012********** Saudi Arabia 6 February 2013********** Turkey 30 March 2013********** Turkey 3 October 2011********** Vietnam 12 September 2012




Adulteration: alert notifications in RASFF (EU)



Adulteration: Food Fraud Database

http://www.foodfraud.org




Adulteration: Food Fraud Database





Adulteration Testing: Methods

Method Reference Adulterant ISO 17025Accreditation

Also used byotherlaboratories

Proficiency tests (PT),Interlaboratorycomparison tests(ILCT)

13C/12C isotope ratioof honey and honeyprotein (EA-IRMS)

AOAC 998.12 C4 sugars (corn syrup, sugarcane syrup, agave syrup)

YES YES YES (PT)

13C/12C isotope ratioof honey and honeyprotein (EA-CRDS)

National Honey Board/USDA ResearchProject (USA), finished Sept. 2012

C4 sugars (corn syrup, sugarcane syrup, agave syrup)

YES NO YES (PT)

13C/12C isotope ratioof honey, honeyprotein andindividual sugars(EA/LC-IRMS)

• J. Agric. Food Chem. 54 (2006)9719-9727

• Apidologie 39 (2008) 574-587• AOAC 122nd Meeting (2008)• Korean J. Apic. 25 (2010) 63-76• Chin. J. Chromatogr. 29 (2011)

15-19

C4 sugars and C3 sugars (e.g.wheat syrup, rice syrup, beetinvert sugar, tapioca syrup,chicory syrup)

YES YES YES (ILCT)PT not available

Beta-Fructofuranosidase(LC-RI)

• Intertek Publication 05.02.2010• DLR 104 (2008) 55-57• Chin. J. Anal. Chem. 10 (2012)

1602-1606

invert sugar from sucrose (e.g.beet invert sugar)


Beta-/Gamma-Amylases(LC-UV)

• Intertek Publication 05.02.2010• Czech J. Food Sci. 27 (2009)

S280-282• Chin. J. Anal. Chem. 8 (2012)

777-781

Invert sugar syrups producedfrom starch (e.g. rice syrup,wheat syrup)


Thermoresistantalpha-amylase(enzymatic test)

PM DE01_090 mod. (modified inhousemethod for diastase activity)

Unauthorized use of heatstable alpha-amylase(Termamyl®), addition of invertsugar syrups produced fromstarch (e.g. rice syrup, wheatsyrup)

NO (new testsince 9/2012,accreditationin preparation)

YES PT not availableILCT not available

SM-R (LC-MS/MS) PM DE01-190 (inhouse method,developed in cooperation with ChineseCIQ laboratory)

Specific marker for rice syrup YES YES YES (ILCT)PT not available

TM-R (ICP-MS) PM DE01-205 (inhouse method) Trace marker for rice syrup YES NO YES (PT)



Method Reference Adulterant ISO 17025Accreditation

Also used byotherlaboratories

Proficiency tests (PT),Interlaboratorycomparison tests(ILCT)

Honey-foreignoligosaccharides(LC-ELSD)

National Honey Board/USDA ResearchProject (USA), finished Sept. 2012

Polysaccharide based sugarsyrups (e.g. corn syrup, wheatsyrup, rice syrup, inulin syrup,dextrins syrup)

YES YES PT not availableILCT not available

Caramel color E150d(LC-MS/MS)

PM DE01_185 (inhouse method) Unauthorized addition ofcaramel color


Pollen analysis(microscopy) andsensory analysis

DIN 10760 (pollen analysis)PM DE01_108 (inhouse method,sensory)

Microscopic picture andorganoleptic properties mustmatch for authentic honey

YES YES YES (PT)

Diastase activity(enzymatic test)

PM DE01_090 (inhouse method fordiastase activity), referenced to IHCmethods (Schade, Phadebas)

Decrease indicates heatdamage or dilution by syrupaddition

YES YES YES (PT)

Invertase activity(enzymatic test)

DIN 10759, Part 1 Decrease indicates heatdamage or dilution by syrupaddition

YES YES YES (PT)

Proline content(photometric test)

DIN 10754 Decrease indicates heatdamage or dilution by syrupaddition

YES YES YES (PT)

Ascorbic acid(LC-UV)

DIN EN 14130 mod. Sugar syrup produced by lowtemperature acid conversion

YES YES YES (PT)

Sulfite(distillation/titration)

DIN EN 1988, Part 1 Sugar syrup produced by lowtemperature acid conversion

YES YES YES (ILCT)

Citric acid(enzymatic test)

DIN EN 1137 mod. Sugar syrup produced by lowtemperature acid conversion

NO YES YES (ILCT)

Adulteration Testing: Methods, continued



Method Syrup # of analyses 2012(% adulterated)

# of analyses 1-8, 2013(% adulterated)

C13 EA-IRMS/CRDS C4 all 3900 (12) 5222 (7)

C13 EA/LC-IRMS C4/C3 all 7120 (8) 5707 (10)

SM-R RS only 2465 (12) 1612 (6)

TM-R RS only 1665 (29) 1623 (21)

Hf-OS C4/C3 SS 328 (36) 2047 (32)

-FF C4/C3 IS 6397 (2) 3563 (2)

-; -AMYL C4/C3 SS 2979 (8) 2255 (6)

HS -AMYL C4/C3 SS 18 (39) 726 (55*)

E 150d - 594 (36) 628 (19)

Adulteration Testing: Hit Rates (Positives)

RS: rice syrupSS: starch syrupIS: inverted sugar

* 97% CN



Honey Quality: GMO

GMO pollen:• New „problem“ due to EU Court Decision in September 2011• Rare problems within EU due to the restrictive GMO politics• Big problem (initially) for major honey exporting countries with liberal

GMO crop legislation and widespread agricultural use• Legal situation still unclear (change of EU honey drafted)• Detection possible, but quantification impossible• Difficulty in verification of 0.9% limit required for GMO labeling• No tolerance level for food in place (feed: 0.1% = GMO free)• Pragmatic analytical concept for marketability assessment:

• Screening for presence of GMO (e.g.: tripe-screening: 35S, T-nos, FMV)• Exclusion of presence of non-authorized GMO (maize, rape events)

• 10% of all honeys tested were positive for GMO• Majority of positives from South America (AR, CL, …)• Only 7% of the positive samples contained non-authorized GMO

(MON810 maize, T25 maize, MS8 rape and GT73 rape) e.g. Ukraine: GT73 positive



Honey Quality: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (PA):• Toxic substances naturally occurring in honey• Plants produce them as defense against herbivores• Honey was first targeted food• Currently tea is in the public focus• No MRLs in place due to lack in toxicology studies an scientific

knowledge about ocurrence• First risk assessments from German BfR and EFSA (0.007 µg/kg bw /d)• Minimizing principle as EU strategy• Codex Alimentarius Works on Guidelines (can take years)• But how to control PA-plants and bees foraging on them ?• Minimizing PA content by blending of commercial honeys not desired• Unifloral honeys: high quality but also high PA



Honey Quality: Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids

PA concentations in raw honeys (n~4800 in 2012)

µg/kg World AR BR CL UY MX CU E EU S EU CN

< 1 24% 13% 10% 17% 2% 15% 2% 68% 28% 87%

1-20 53% 43% 30% 51% 11% 64% 67% 31% 66% 13%

21-50 14% 29% 32% 20% 16% 14% 22% 1% 5% 0%

51-100 5% 10% 16% 7% 22% 4% 8% 0% 1% 0%

101-200 3% 4% 9% 4% 27% 2% 1% 0% 0% 0%

>200 1% 1% 3% 1% 22% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%



Honey Quality: Authenticity / Source / Origin

Geographical an Botanical Origin• Microscopic pollen analysis is the only approved method (e.g. DIN, IHC)• No suitable analytical alternative found so far (e.g. isotopic/minerals profiling)• Few experts worldwide, profound expertise necessary• No legal standard, scientific literature and individual expert knowledge as basis

for interpretation, distinction unifloral – polyfloral often a problem• Pollen, legal aspects: natural constituent (EU) or foreign material (USA)?• Pollen, technological aspects: honey crystallization, shelf life• Origin labeling: individual countries or regions?• Authenticity: pollen spectrum/sediment and sensory must match• Climate can have an influence on pollen sprectra and sensory (flowering times)• Neigbouring countries sometimes difficult to distiguish (similar fauna)• Processing of raw honeys (e.g. filtration) may influence the analytical result• Degree of filtration/removal of pollen: labeling required / consumer fraud?• Pollen content prone to manipulationsAnalytical testing can only be one part of the traceability!



Honey Quality: Commercial Analysis 2012

Parameter Legal Limit Distribution Remarks

HMF (mg/kg)(n~7000)

40 (80) <15: 80.1%15-40: 16.5%40-80: 2.6%

>80: 0,8%

ave. content: 5-8 most countrieshighest ave. content: USA (28)

Diastase(n~6000)

8 (3) <3: 1.1%3-8: 4.8%

8-50: 92.6%>50: 1.5%

lowest ave. content: CN (14)

South America > North America >Cental America > Europe > Asia

Invertase(n~600)

60 (45) <45: 17%45-64: 7%

>64: 77%

CN: 50% below 9 !

Proline (mg/kg)(n~900)

200 (180) <200: 16%200-400: 74%400-600: 7%

>600: 3%

lowest ave. content: Mx, ARhighest ave. content: BR, GR

Glycerol (mg/kg) (300) <300: 60%>300: 40 %

lowest ave. content: ARhighest ave. content: CN

No major issues with moisture and free acid content



Thank youand

honey bee good!

End of Presentation


current issues and trends of honey quality … · current issues and trends of honey quality in the...

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