DIN 10754 (TS 13357) Determination of Proline Content of Honey

The DIN 10754 standard, published by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) , describes a test method for determining the proline content of honey.

Today, the demand for monofloral, original and functional honey varieties or geographical indication honeys is increasing. At the same time, there is a need to develop methods for determining the botanical and geographical origin of honey. In advanced laboratories, various techniques are applied to determine the botanical origin of honey.

Proline is the dominant amino acid in honey and is considered an indicator of honey quality. The proline content in honey depends on the processing time of the nectar by the bees. At the same time, proline levels reflect the botanical origin of honey. The proline content differs between the various types of honey. For example, rapeseed honey contains high levels of benzoic acid and has the lowest proline content. Proline, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid levels are relatively high in buckwheat honey.

In short, the proline content is used as a criterion for honey ripeness and, in some cases, added sugar. Proline content is defined as the color developed with ninhydrin compared to a proline standard and is expressed as a ratio of honey mass in mg/kg. In general, honey containing less than 180 mg/kg of proline is considered immature or unadulterated. Proline content is an indicator of quality in honey, and when it falls below a certain value, it is an indicator of adulteration. During testing, proline and ninhydrin form a colored complex. After adding 2-propanol, quenching of the sample solution and a reference solution at the maximum wavelength are determined. The proline content is determined from the calculated ratio.

Honey is popular for its nutritional and medicinal values. As a natural sweetening agent, honey is widely used in the food industry and is also used as a food preservative. Honey has a complex composition of minerals, free amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, phenolic compounds and a high concentration of sugar combined with numerous volatile compounds. These ingredients highlight both the physical properties and the nutraceutical properties of honey. Different unifloral honeys may have different functional properties due to their different components.

Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services for the determination of the proline content of honey, within the scope of DIN 10754 (TS 13357) standard, with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.