U.S. Researchers Use New Technique to Identify Floral Sources of Honey

Hybrid Sampling Identifies Floral Sources of Honey
Photonics.com, December 2005

Not all honey is created equal. When bees feast on the pollen from different flowers, they produce honey that differs greatly in taste and appearance. For example, a study by the National Honey Board of Longmont, Colo., revealed that bees that dine on buckwheat create dark honey with a medicinal taste, while those eating clover produce sweet and transparent honey.

Now postdoctoral researcher Jagdish C. Tewari and associate professor in agricultural and biological engineering Joseph M.K. Irudayaraj from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., have used Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and surface acoustic wave sensing to identify the flowers responsible for the sweet fluid. . .

The two scientists performed the research while at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, in collaboration with the National Honey Board. They published their results in the Sept. 7 issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Contact: Jagdish C. Tewari, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; +1 (765) 496-2030; e-mail: E-mail: jctewari@purdue.edu.