NMR profiling

Definition

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy produces a profile of a honey's whole composition, which is compared against a reference database of authentic honeys. It can flag samples that look unlike genuine honeys of the same description, including some that isotope testing would pass, and is generally treated as a screen that prompts follow-up rather than a verdict. It depends entirely on the scope, representativity and validation of the reference database behind it, and an unusual profile has innocent causes.

Honey records that discuss this

• Acacia honeyClean, light and sweet with almost nothing in the way. The honey to reach for when you want sweetness without a flavour opinion.

Guide records that discuss this

• How honey is testedThe laboratory panel behind every honey specification, method by method: what each test measures, what it costs, and what a clean result does not rule out.