Bruker Launches New FoodScreener™ Module for Comprehensive NMR-Based Profiling of Honey

This new NMR screening solution specifically for the analysis of honey is the most recent module of Bruker’s well-established FoodScreener™ product line to be released in April. The solution delivers targeted and non-targeted analysis to simultaneously identify and quantify a multitude of honey characteristics, including sugar, acid and amino acid content as well as frauds such as the addition of different types of syrup or other sugar solutions. The inherent ease of use allows non-expert users to conduct analyses from measurement to final report.

Prof. Dr. Stephan Schwarzinger, Managing Director of ALNuMed GmbH in Germany commented: "Honey is high in demand but low in supply due to a number of reasons. Consequently, the number of adulterated products in the market was strongly increasing in the recent years. Adulteration - including wrong declaration of the geographic origin - is becoming more difficult to prove by single parameters. Hence, in our experience a quantitative multi-parametric approach such as the NMR-based Honey-Profiling currently presents the best choice for proving the authenticity of a honey."

Dr. Manfred Spraul, Chief Technology Officer at Bruker BioSpin’s Applied, Industrial and Clinical (AIC) division, explained “This new NMR solution for honey provides a cost efficient way for comprehensive quality and authenticity control. NMR offers unique capabilities in validating variety and origin even if the pollen are removed from the honey.” Dr. Spraul continued, “As an example, the NMR based Honey-Profiling comes at the right time to validate the highest priced Manuka honeys, where it is known, that much more Manuka is sold than produced. The ongoing reduction of bee populations also creates pressure in the honey market, which could lead to increased falsification. Honey Profiling based analysis will ensure that the consumer really gets what he pays for.”

The database developed for the Honey-Profiling contains thousands of authentic samples with world-wide coverage due to support from Quality Services International and ALNuMed and will be extended on a regular basis. This will be hugely advantageous for our customers in the honey industry, analytical service providers and government control agencies.