Hei !
having become interested in HMF I have collected snippits from here
and there, three interesting ones being:-
 
From http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/business/honey.htm "Honey
labelling regulations"
 
Honey (unless it is described "Baker's Honey" or "Industrial Honey")
must *not* have any of the following characteristics:-
 
     A foreign taste or odour.
     Have begun to ferment or effervesce.
     Have been heated to such an extent that its natural enzymes have been
     destroyed or made inactive.
         (i) A diastase level of less than 3 if it is citrus honey or honey
         with a naturally low enzymes content.
         (ii) A diastase level of less than 4 if it is any other type of honey.
         *(NB:both the above are minimum levels)*
    A hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content of more than 80 milligram per kilogram.
 
From http://www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/hmf.html
 
 In Holland, it is forbidden to sell honey with more than 40 mg/kg
 HMF.
 
From
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/Liasion/FR_Intent_toStudy.html
 
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Toxicology Program
 
5-Hydroxymethyl Furfural (CAS No. 67-47-0) (HMF) is formed during the
thermal decomposition of sugars and carbohydrates.  HMF has been
identified in a wide variety of heat processed foods including  milk,
fruit juices, spirits, honey, etc. HMF is also found in cigarettes.
*(and in cigarette smoke according to another US gov. source)*
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences nominated HMF
based on the potential for widespread exposure in the diet, evidence
for carcinogenic potential of other members of this class, and the
fact that little is known about HMF toxicity.  NTP plans to develop
protocols to investigate the metabolism, toxicity and carcinogenicity
of HMF.
 
Now my question to everyone out there with chemical knowledge..how
can one detect the prescence of HMF and/or measure the quantity
present in a sample of for example honey? Are there any simple
methods?
 
Cheers Tony
Anthony N Morgan,
Forsteammanuensis
Institutt for Elektroteknikk
Hogskolen i Sor-Trondelag
N-7005 Trondheim, Norway
Tlf. 73 55 96 04
Fax. 73 55 95 81