The quantitation of hydroxymethylfurfural in Australian Leptospermum honeys

This research extends the rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of O-(2, 3, 4, 5, 6-pentafluorobenzyl)hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) derivatives of methylglyoxal and dihydroxyacetone in Australian Leptospermum (L.) honeys to quantify hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. Results showed that among the studied honeys stored at 4°C, all six L. polygalifolium and one L. liversidgei honeys exceeded the HMF upper limit (40 mg/kg) of the International Honey Commission (IHC), while four L.liversidgei, one L. semibaccatum and one L. laevigatum honeys satisfied this IHC regulation. It was found that all of the 13 heat treated (37°C for 60 days) Leptospermumhoneys exceeded the IHC limit.   Key words: Hydroxymethylfurfural, Leptospermum, honey.