2023 Resolution

Establishing a Canadian Database Certification Program for Honey Quality Assurance Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR) and Mass Spectrometry(MS)

STATUS: CARRIED

RATIONALE / PURPOSE FOR RESOLUTION:

• Whereas… Ensuring honey authenticity is one of the great challenges facing the honey industry today.
• Whereas… increasingly honey is being imported into Canada from sources known for adulterating and producing low quality honey.
• Whereas… the current approved test for honey authenticity, the Stable Carbon Isotope Ratio Method (SCIRA) or Elemental Analyser Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry  (EA/IRMS) cannot accurately test for all types of sugar syrups used to adulterate honey.
• Whereas… the combination of elemental analyzer – isotope ratio mass spectrometry and liquid. chromatography – isotope ratio mass spectrometry  (EA/LC-IRMS) has limited ability to accurately detect syrups made from beets, rice, wheat, or other plants (C3 sugars)
• Whereas… NMR can test for both known and unknown syrups in honey regardless of the source of the syrups
• Whereas… NMR can also be used to determine country of origin and botanical source of honey
• Whereas… NMR combined with Mass Spectrometry MS is a highly sensitive analysis which can detect specific markers typical of sugar syrups

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

Be it Resolved that Alberta Beekeepers Commission support the development of a Canadian database that can be used to identify fraud in honey utilizing NMR and MS and implementing a certification system that would protect the honey market in Canada NMR and MS  at an amount/maximum of $2,000.

RESOLUTION BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Name of producer submitting resolution: Peter Awram

Name of person seconding resolution: Mike Paradis