Gas-liquid chromatographic test for honey adulteration by high fructose corn sirup.

A gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) method has been developed to detect the addition to honey of high fructose corn sirup (HFCS). Samples are derivatized directly with trimethylsilane, cholestane is added as an internal standard, and the levels of maltose (includes other minor disaccharides) and isomaltose are determined after chromatography on OV-17. Domestic and imported honey samples (115) contained 2.00% maltose and 0.71% isomaltose. HFCS samples (21) contained 1.50% maltose, and 2.09% isomaltose. A discriminatory equation was developed (D = 2.73 - 5. 35 (Isomaltose/maltose)) and, when applied to the data for these samples and 37 adulterated samples, 81.4% of authentic honey samples and 78.4% of samples known to be adulterated with HFCS were correctly classified.