Latest trends in honey contaminant analysis, challenges, and opportunities for green chemistry development

Abstract

The latest advances in honey trace contaminants analysis according to 70 articles gathered, mainly from the last 4 years, are critically reviewed, focusing on green and environmentally friendly aspects. Sample preparation protocols for multi-element analysis are slowly evolving towards green chemistry but older methods are still employed. Analytical methods are moving to mass spectrometry determinations, but other spectroscopic methods are also an answer. Dispersive sample preparation methods followed by chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry proved their utility for multi-residue analysis of a wide array of trace organic compounds. Multiplex/multiclass methods development arises as a new field in honey contaminant analysis: They are greener than the traditional ones, as a bunch of families of chemical contaminants can be determined in a single extraction step. The regulatory framework did not follow the analytical procedures evolution. Honey is an animal-origin food, and contamination from other sources is seldom considered. The lack of holistic approaches from a legal point of view menaces public health as honey is consumed during the whole lifetime and hampers integrative analytical developments.