Overview
This study characterized the mineral profile and heavy metal content of seven honey types (six monofloral and one multifloral) from eastern Morocco, using ICP-MS. Botanical origin significantly influenced mineral composition: multifloral honey had the highest total mineral content (661 mg/kg), while monofloral varieties showed distinct elemental fingerprints. For heavy metals, cadmium ranged from 0.0017 to 0.018 mg/kg and lead from 0.13 to 0.19 mg/kg across honey types; all values fell within safe regulatory limits. The study provides geographic and botanical-origin context for Moroccan honey mineral variability.
Key numbers
Heavy metals (ICP-MS, mg/kg fresh weight):
- Cd: 0.0017–0.018 mg/kg (range across 7 honey types; highest in multifloral)
- Pb: 0.13–0.19 mg/kg (range across 7 honey types)
EU maximum limits for honey (Regulation EC 46/2001 and related):
- Cd: no specific EU limit for honey; general food safety assessment applies
- Pb: EU recommended limit 0.10 mg/kg for honey (Commission Recommendation 2014/663/EU); Pb values in this study (0.13–0.19 mg/kg) are above this recommended limit
Macro-minerals (mg/kg, selected):
- Potassium: dominant mineral across all types, 100–400 mg/kg range
- Total minerals: multifloral honey 661 mg/kg; monofloral types ranged from ~200 to ~550 mg/kg
Sample structure: 7 honey varieties collected from beekeepers in Oujda-Angad and Driouch provinces (eastern Morocco) in 2022–2023 (year estimated from publication). Botanical origins included thyme, jujube, carob, lavender, rosemary, euphorbia, and multifloral. Number of individual samples per variety not clearly stated in the available source text.
Methods (brief)
ICP-MS analysis; fresh weight basis; samples dissolved in acid prior to analysis. Botanical origin confirmed by melissopalynological analysis (pollen identification). Study focused primarily on minerals and botanical origin discrimination; heavy metals reported as secondary outcome. LOD/LOQ values reported for each analyte; Cd and Pb were above LOQ in all samples reported. Note: Pb values of 0.13–0.19 mg/kg are above the EU Commission recommended limit of 0.10 mg/kg for honey, which is a recommended rather than mandatory limit; the paper characterizes all values as “within safe limits,” which reflects the non-mandatory status of the Pb recommendation.
Implications
Certification: Pb values above the EU recommended limit (0.10 mg/kg) warrant attention for any honey product marketed to European consumers. While the recommended limit is not legally enforceable as a maximum, values consistently above it create labeling and due diligence questions. Eastern Moroccan origin appears to be associated with Pb levels near or above this threshold.
Courses: Useful for illustrating how botanical origin and geography interact to drive mineral and contaminant variability within a single commodity category; demonstrates that “honey” is not a monolithic risk category.
App: Honey Pb values in this range (0.13–0.19 mg/kg = 130–190 ppb) are meaningful for cumulative exposure calculations, especially for products using honey as a primary sweetener.
Microbiome: Not applicable.
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Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a8052bb | 2026-08-09 | major | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |