Contribution of pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS) to authenticity testing of honey

Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry (Py-MS) was used to investigate discrimination of honey samples from different floral (ten) and geographical (seven) origins. The data were analysed statistically (using Principal Component and Discriminant Factor Analysis) in order to check the possibility of the use of these profiles for characterising the botanical source of honey. Py-MS showed as a very useful tool for the rapid discrimination of honeys from different botanical origins. Separation of the geographical origin of honey was unsuccessful and this is likely to be due to the very large and varied botanical origins of honey located within a single geographical region. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.