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SummaryHoney usually contains a variety of mineral substances. Ninety five samples of known geographic and botanic origin were analyzed in order to detect possible contamination by common air pollution or other pathways. It was found that most elements correlate significantly with electrical conductivity. The contamination level of the toxic elements Pb and Cd measured in our study was low. There were differences between the honeys produced in the different areas only with regard to Fe and Cr content. The concentrations of the other trace elements measured in the present study, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe, were similar to the values found in other recent studies. All of the trace elements determined in this work can be both from natural sources (soil, plants) and anthropogenic sources. Pb, Cd, and Zn especially, but also Cu, Cr, and Ni, are well known as potential air or soil contaminants of anthropogenic origin, but are of course also found as natural ingredients of soil minerals, as are also Fe and Mn. Variation in trace element content in different honey types is primarily due to botanical origin rather than geographical and environmental exposition of nectar sources.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to determine 20 different measurands in honey. The reference values for 144 honey samples of different botanical origin were determined by classical physical and chemical methods. Partial least squares regression was used to develop the calibration models for the measurands studied. They were validated using independent samples and proved satisfying accuracies for the determination of water (R2=0.99), glucose (0.94), fructose (0.84), sucrose (0.91), melezitose (0.98) and monosaccharide content (0.82) as well as fructose/glucose ratio (0.98), glucose/water ratio (0.94), electrical conductivity (0.98), pH-value (0.87) and free acidity (0.96). The prediction accuracy for hydroxymethylfurfural, proline and the minor sugars maltose, turanose, erlose, trehalose, isomaltose and kojibiose was rather poor. The results demonstrate that mid-infrared spectrometry is a valuable, rapid and non-destructive tool for the quantitative analysis of the most important measurands in honey.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to determine 20 different measurands in honey. The reference values for 144 honey samples of different botanical origin were determined by classical physical and chemical methods. Partial least squares regression was used to develop the calibration models for the measurands studied. They were validated using independent samples and proved satisfying accuracies for the determination of water (R2=0.99), glucose (0.94), fructose (0.84), sucrose (0.91), melezitose (0.98) and monosaccharide content (0.82) as well as fructose/glucose ratio (0.98), glucose/water ratio (0.94), electrical conductivity (0.98), pH-value (0.87) and free acidity (0.96). The prediction accuracy for hydroxymethylfurfural, proline and the minor sugars maltose, turanose, erlose, trehalose, isomaltose and kojibiose was rather poor. The results demonstrate that mid-infrared spectrometry is a valuable, rapid and non-destructive tool for the quantitative analysis of the most important measurands in honey.