Bee-yond the Label: Chemical Fingerprinting of Honey from Diverse Origins

Overview

Honeybees face increasing stress from pesticide exposure, parasites, and poor nutrition, while honey is among the most frequently adulterated foods worldwide. This project investigates how pesticide residue profiles differ among honey samples from diverse geographic origins and whether chemical fingerprinting can reveal adulteration and potential risks to bee health. I hypothesized that small-scale local honeys would exhibit lower pesticide burdens, and fewer signs of adulteration than commercial blended honeys, due to reduced economic pressure for fraud and lower exposure risk from agricultural pesticide use. To test this, I analyzed 8 honey samples from local beekeepers in Orange County, California, and 13 commercial and international honeys. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify unique floral chemical components and detect adulteration markers, including high-heat sugar degradation products such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed to screen for 250 common pesticides and quantify detected residues. Samples were compared for individual pesticide exposures and overall trends. Local honeys contained a similar number of unique pesticide detections compared to commercial honeys; however, cumulative pesticide loads trended lower in local samples, though not reaching statistical significance (77 ± 23 ng/mL, n = 8 vs. 196 ± 77 ng/mL, n = 13; p = 0.133). At least two pesticides, methamidophos and oxamyl, exceeded regulatory limits in some samples. Most honeys displayed distinct floral markers, supporting geographic verification, e.g manuka from New Zealand, except for highly processed blends. Overall, chemical fingerprinting effectively identified pesticide exposure patterns, floral origin, and adulteration signatures.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Chemistry (Senior Division) · Entry S-05-10

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