Hi to the Bee-List.

The question regarding a good marker is quite simple, however on needs
an instrument capable of detecting C13, ie a mass spectrometer
availabel in universities with a good chemistry department. The trick
is to use sugar from a C4-plant (Zea maize) which is enriched in C13.
Normal honey plants are C3-plans and therefore have a different
C13-content (less of C13). In that way you could measure the different
13-ratios of the feeding sugar and the normal honey before feeding
your sugar and than calculate from the measuring data the
"contamination" with C13. This would be true also for normal sugar in
the US from sugar cane, which is a C4-plant as well. This technique
has been used in the US to detect honey adulteration with sugar (from
sugar cane). In my country we get the sugar from Beta vulgaris which
is a C3-plant, therefore this technique does not work here. This is a
safe method and does involve only natural isotopes availabe in nature
having no harming effect at all.

With best regards


Ahlert Schmidt   mailto:[log in to unmask]