Discrimination between adulterated and non-adulterated honey by using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics method

Honey adulteration, especially in sugar and jaggery syrup, has serious health, economic, and quality consequences. Thus, the study investigated the use of ATR-FTIR and chemometric methods to identify honey adulterants. To distinguish pure honey from adulterated samples, we used ATR-FTIR spectral characteristics. ATR FTIR analysis of pure honey reveals C–H bending in 1,2,3-trisubstituted molecules at 775 cm−1, 1,4-disubstituted molecules at 816 cm−1, C–N stretching of an amine at 1026 cm−1, C=C stretching of alkenes at 1642 cm−1, and C–H stretching in alkenes at 2931 cm−1. Sugar syrup and jaggery syrup were also analysed using ATR FTIR. The adulterants’ ATR FTIR spectra were identical due to alene’s C=C at 986 cm−1 and 989 cm−1 and anhydride’s CO-O-CO stretching at 1042 and 1046 cm−1 in sugar and jaggery syrup, respectively. Both adulterants show aromatic esters, as shown by C–O esters at 1262 cm−1 and O-H bends at 1416 cm−1. We used PCA to improve spectral data discrimination and prediction, and it was able to distinguish samples above 95% variance. The study demonstrated that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics can quickly and non-destructively assess sugar or jaggery syrup in honey. This method could protect consumers and ensure honey authenticity.