Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preparation of Honey Reference Material for Water Content by Karl Fisher and Refractometric Methods

  • Original Article
  • Published:
MAPAN Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Certified reference materials are essential tools for calibration of measuring instruments, validation of analytical methods and assuring quality of measurement results. However, in the case of water content in honey, which is used to determine the quality and the marketability of honey, there is a lack of matrix reference materials. Certified reference material for water content in honey has been developed by the National Institute of Standards, Egypt. This article describes production of the material from processing to value assignment. Characterization of the material was carried out by refractometric and Karl Fisher titration procedures, where homogeneity and stability studies were carried out by Karl Fisher titration method. The measurement results were statistically analysed and weighted mean was calculated as assigned value. The certified value and expanded uncertainty were found 16.24 ± 0.33 g/100 g, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. F. Durbiano, E. Amico di Meane, L. Bergamaschi, C. Boveri, L. Giordani and M. Sega, INRiM contributions in the characterization and certification of reference materials, Measurement, 44 (2011)1381–1388.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. AOAC 969.38B, MAFF Validated method V21 for moisture in honey, J. Assoc. Public Analysts, 28 (1992) 183–187.

  3. A. Gallina, N. Stocco and F. Mutinelli, Karl Fischer Titration to determine moisture in honey: a new simplified approach, Food Control, 21 (2010) 942–944.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. M.A. Morgano, R.F. Milani, M.C.T Martins and D.B. Rodriguez-Amaya, Determination of water content in Brazilian honeybee-collected pollen by Karl Fischer titration, Food Control, 22 (2011) 1604–1608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. V. Sanchez, R. Baeza, C. Ciappini, M.C. Zamora and J. Chirife, Comparison between Karl Fischer and refractometric method for determination of water content in honey, Food Control, 21 (2010) 339–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. S. Chakravarty, A. Mohanty, B. Ghosh, M. Tarafdar, S.G. Aggarwal and P.K. Gupta, Proficiency testing in chemical analysis of iron ore: comparison of statistical methods for outlier rejection, MAPAN-J. Metrol. Soc. India, 29 (2014) 87–95.

  7. P. Spitzer and S. Seitz, Metrological traceability chain for pH measurement results, MAPAN-J. Metrol. Soc. India, 25 (3) (2010) 191–196.

    Google Scholar 

  8. H.D. Isengard and D. Schultheib, Water determination in honey-Karl Fischer titration, an alternative to refractive index measurements? Food Chem., 82 (2003) 151–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. ISO Guide 34, General requirements for the competence of reference material producers. ISO, Geneva, (2009).

    Google Scholar 

  10. ISO Guide 35, Reference materials-general and statistical principles for certification. ISO, Geneva, (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  11. T.P.J. Linsinger, J. Pauwels, A. Lamberty, H.G. Schimmel, A.M.H. van der Veen, and L. Siekmann, Estimating the uncertainty of stability for matrix CRMs, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 370 (2001) 183–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. International Atomic Energy Agency, Development and Use of Reference Materials and Quality Control Materials, IAEA, Vienna. ISBN 92-0-103303-6 (2003).

  13. T.P.J. Linsinger, J. Pauwels, A.M.H. van der Veen, H. Schimmel and A. Lamberty, Homogeneity and stability of reference materials, Accred. Qual. Assur., 6 (2001) 20–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. S. Daya, One-way analysis of variance, Evid. Based Obstet. Gynecol., 5 (2003) 153–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. A.M.H. van der Veen, T. Linsinger and J. Pauwels, Uncertainty calculations in the certification of reference materials. 2. Homogeneity study, Accred. Qual. Assur., 6 (2001) 26–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. A.M.H. van der Veen, T.P.J. Linsinger, A. Lamberty and J. Pauwels, Uncertainty calculations in the certification of reference materials 3. Stability study. Accred. Qual. Assur., 6 (2001) 257–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. M. Koch, W. Bremser, R. Koppen, R. Kruger, T. Rasenko, D. Siegel and I. Nehls, Certification of reference materials for ochratoxin A analysis in coffee and wine, Accred. Qual. Assur., 16 (2011) 429–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. M. Ulberth-Buchgraber, M. Potalivo, H. Emteborg and A. Held, Toward the development of certified reference materials for effective biodiesel testing. Part 1: processing, homogeneity and stability, Energy Fuels, 25 (2011) 4622–4629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S.B. Schiller, Statistical aspects of the certification of chemical batch SRMs, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA, (1996) (Special publication 260-125).

  20. W. May, R. Parris, C. Beck, J. Fassett, R. Greenberg, F. Guenther, S. Wise, T. Gills, J. Colbert, R. Gettings and B. MacDonald, Definitions of terms and modes used at NIST for value assignment of reference materials for chemical measurements. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, USA, (2000) (Special publication 260-136).

  21. S.B. Schiller and K.R. Eberhard, Combining data from independent chemical analysis methods, Spectrochim. Acta B, 46 (1991) 1607–1613.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. A.B. Shehata and I.F. Tahoun, Preparation and certification of a fish oil natural matrix reference material for organochlorine pesticides, Accred. Qual. Assur., 15 (2010) 563–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. A.B. Shehata, M.S. Rizk, A.M. Farag and I.F. Tahoun, Certification of three reference materials for α- and γ-tocopherol in edible oils, MAPAN-J. Metrol. Soc. India, 29 (2014) 183–194.

    Google Scholar 

  24. A.B. Shehata, M.S. Rizk, A.M. Farag and I.F. Tahoun, Development of two reference materials for all trans-retinol, retinyl palmitate, α- and γ-tocopherols in milk powder and infant formula, J. Food Drug Anal., 23 (2015) 82–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. BIPM, IEC, IFCC, ISO, IUPAC, IUPAP, OIML (1993) Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement. 1st Ed., ISO, Switzerland. ISBN 92-67-10188-9 (corrected and reprinted 1995).

    Google Scholar 

  26. S.L.R. Ellison and A. Williams (Eds). Eurachem/CITAC Guide: quantifying uncertainty in analytical measurement, 3rd Ed., (2012). www.eurachem.org

  27. J. Dobilienė, A. Meškuotienė and E. Raudienė, Uncertainty sources affecting reliability of chemical measurements, MAPAN-J. Metrol. Soc. India, 30 (4) (2015) 281–290. doi:10.1007/s12647-015-0146-0.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Standards, Tersa St, El-Matbah, Haram, P. O. Box: 136, Giza, 12211, Egypt

    Ibrahim F. Tahoun & Adel B. Shehata

Authors
  1. Ibrahim F. Tahoun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adel B. Shehata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ibrahim F. Tahoun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tahoun, I.F., Shehata, A.B. Preparation of Honey Reference Material for Water Content by Karl Fisher and Refractometric Methods. MAPAN 31, 25–29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-015-0156-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-015-0156-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation