Water content in honey is routinely determined to ensure the quality, consistency, and safety of the saturated sugar solution. The water content varies with the botanical origins, the season it is produced and the quality of honey. Water content can be related to the microbial growth and fermentation, thus limiting shelf life. In addition it modifies the physical properties and overall quality of the honey. Refractive index is considered the standard method for quantitative water determination. However, the honey has to be heated to 50 degrees before analysis causing some water to evaporate leading to determination of lower water content. Water determination is now being analyzed with Karl Fischer titration however, it is time consuming, can be labor intensive, and use solvents and reagents that must be purchased and disposed of responsibly. Karl Fischer methods are also subject to both environmental and species (aldehyde/ketone) related biases that can impact the quantitation accuracy and reproducibility. Ambient moisture can significantly bias the true results, especially for hydroscopic and hydrate compounds. This presentation will discuss the development and application of a headspace method utilizing ionic liquids as stationary phases coupled to GC-TCD to provide accurate and reproducible quantitative measurements of water in honey.

Novel method for auantitation of water in honey

247th National Meeting (2014)

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