Levels of trace elements and rare earth elements in honey from Jordan.

Yahya R Tahboub,Mohammad S Alghotani,Abd Al-Majeed A Al-Ghzawi,Shaker S Al-Zayafdneh

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-16460-3

Yahya R Tahboub, Mohammad S Alghotani + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16460-3

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Abstract

Honey is a common sweetener in the Jordanian diet with an annual consumption of approximately one thousand tons, two-thirds of which are imported. It is believed that the elemental profile of honey is an indicator of safety and botanical and geographic origin. In the literature, there are a lack of studies concerning the levels of major and trace elements in honey in Jordan. A total of 46 elements, including 15 rare earth elements (REEs), were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in 18 monofloral and multifloral imported honey samples and 12 multifloral local samples. Regarding monofloral samples, Black Forest samples had the highest total metal content, while acacia samples had the lowest total metal content. Local multifloral honey had the largest Sr and total REE levels, while it had the lowest Mn levels. Very low levels of toxic elements were found in all samples, indicating the safety of honey in Jordan for human consumption. The results of this study showed that a large number of samples (> 100) and the application of advanced statistical models are required to discriminate between multifloral imported and local honey.

Highlights

Genuine pure honey is a natural product produced entirely by bees
The basic elements were classified to minor elements, n = 5, (Na, Mg, P, K, and Ca), essential trace elements, n = 9, (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, and Mo), non-essential elements (n = 12), (Li, Be, Al, V, Ga, Sr, Ag, Sn, Cs, Ba, Bi, and U), and potentially toxic elements (n = 5), (As, Cd, In, Tl and Pb)
Large levels for ∑minor were observed for Black forest monofloral honey samples, and small levels were observed for Acasia mono-floral honey samples

Summary

Introduction

Genuine pure honey is a natural product produced entirely by bees It is a natural sweetener containing sugars, and small quantities of minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants (Alvarez-Suarez et al 2010; Solayman et al 2016). Honey is subjected to a wide range of adulteration by corn syrup and sugar cane and mislabeling of the geographic origin (Alvarez-Suarez et al 2010; Silvano et al 2014; Sobrino-Gregorio et al 2018). It has been known, that some mislabeled honey raises health and safety concerns, and may contain antibodies, toxins and alkaloids (Norsuzila Ya’acob, Mardina Abdullah and Mahamod Ismail et al 1989; Salvador et al 2019). In 2019 Jordan produced about 320 tons of honey and imported about 600 tons

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