A comparison of codex Alimentarius commission and HPLC methods for 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde determination in honey
Author(s)
M. Wootton and L. Ryall
Abstract
Twenty retail samples of honey purchased in Sydney, Australia, were analysed for HMF content using both the Codex Alirnentarius Commission method (1969) and HPLC. No significant differences in reproducibility or levels found were observed between the methods. Furfural, which was detected in half the samples analysed by HPLC, was shown to cause overestimates of HMF by the Codex method in samples with known amounts of furfural added. Greater differences between the two methods were observed using heated honeys, with the Codex procedure giving higher values. This was not caused by furfural which did not increase in the honeys during heating.
