LC-HRMS-Based Non-Targeted Metabolomics for the Assessment of Honey Adulteration with Sugar Syrups: A Preliminary Study.

Honey is a natural product that is in great demand and has a relatively high price, thus making it one of the most common targets of economically motivated adulteration. Its adulteration can be obtained by adding cheaper honey or sugar syrups or by overfeeding honeybees with sugar syrups. Adulteration techniques are constantly evolving and advanced techniques and instruments are required for its detection.

Distribution of sulfathiazole in honey, beeswax, and honeybees and the persistence of residues in treated hives.

This study was performed to evaluate the distribution and depletion of sulfathiazole in different beehive matrices: honey, honeybees, "pre-existing" honeycomb, "new" honeycomb, and capping wax. Sulfathiazole was dissolved in sugar syrup or directly powdered on the combs, the matrices were sampled at different time points, and sulfathiazole residues were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. In honey, the higher concentration of sulfathiazole (180 mg kg(-1)) occurred 2 weeks after the last treatment in syrup.