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International audience; Gas chromatography and liquid chromatography have been used simultaneously to analyze sugars in honey. After statistical processing by principal components analysis, additions of exogenous sugars could be detected by the appropriate fingerprints of adulteration. Application to acacia, chestnut and lavender honeys enabled the detection of fraud resulting from 5 to 10% addition of sugar syrups. This method may be considered as a replacement of isotopic analysis, that has some limitations.

In order to select a washing solution, malodorous gases were scrubbed in a laboratory scale bubbler. The absorption capacities of aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) were determined successively for six volatile organic compounds. High efficiency for washing out hydrophobic molecules was obtained with concentrated PEG solutions. The solubilities of the molecule-test are related to the physical and chemical parameters of the solute. The correlations enabled us to investigate the solvation mechanisms of the sorbate and emphasize the influence of the hydration of PEG on performances.

International audience; Honey samples were analyzed by stable carbon isotopic ratio analysis by mass spectrometry (SCIRA-MS) and site-specific natural isotopic fractionation measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (SNIF-NMR) to first determine their potentials for characterizing the substance and then to combat adulteration. Honey samples from several geographic and botanical origins were analyzed. The δ13C parameter was not significant for characterizing an origin, while the (D/H)I ratio could be used to differentiate certain single-flower varieties. Application of the official control method of adding a C4 syrup (AOAC official method 998.12) to our authentic samples revealed anomalies resulting from SCIRA indices that were more negative than -1‰ (permil). A filtration step was added to the experimental procedure and provided results that were compliant with the natural origin of our honey samples. In addition, spiking with a C4 syrup could be detected starting at 9-10%. The use of SNIF-NMR is limited by the detection of a syrup spike starting only at 20%, which is far from satisfying.