Characterisation of Italian honeys through the application of mineral elements and stable isotopes analyses

According to Council Directive 2001/110/EC and the following amendments (in particular Directive2014/63/EU) the country or countries of origin where the honey is harvested and the botanical variety have to be declared on the label. Conventional honey analysis (chemical composition, physical characteristics, organoleptic parameters and pollen analysis) are not always applicable and effective to determine the geographic origin and variety of a honey. In the last years stable isotope analysis of the bio-elements and mineral composition have gained increasing importance in the determination of the geographic origin of different foodstuffs. In this research 265 honeys of different botanical origin (polyfloral, citrus, rhododendron, eucalyptus, acacia, chestnut, honeydew) produced along Italy in different years, were analyzed for stable isotope ratios (by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) and mineral elements (by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy) content, in order to verify the relationship of these parameters with honey geographic origin and botanical variety. The characteristic ranges of variability in SIRs and mineral content in genuine Italian honey samples are here presented as well as their relationships and compliance with the limits indicated by the AOAC.