Ursache (2026) is a comprehensive bibliometric and narrative review of analytical methods for detecting pesticides, antibiotics, and heavy metals in honey, based on 1,598 Scopus publications from 2010 to 2026. The heavy-metals section (Section 3.3, pp. 12 to 14) identifies lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum, arsenic, and mercury as metals frequently detected in honey, characterizes sources as primarily anthropogenic, and compiles a table of studies from Romania, northern Italy, Poland, southern Italy, and northwest England.
Key numbers
EU regulatory limit for lead in honey (Section 3.3, p. 13): The EU maximum residue limit for lead in honey is 0.1 mg/kg (= 100 ppb). Cited in the context of the Calabria study where “lead (Pb) concentrations exceeded the EU maximum residue limit (0.1 mg/kg) in most samples.”
Geographic survey findings (Table 1, pp. 12 to 13): The five compiled study entries are: Romania (61 samples, 8 regions: Pb and cadmium (Cd) exceeded safety limits in some samples); northern Italy Lombardy (57 samples, 2011 to 2022: lead detected primarily in industrial-area samples, attributed to combustion and traffic); Poland urban apiaries (35 samples: zinc, cadmium, and lead detectable, Pb exceeded permissible limits in some samples); Calabria southern Italy (38 samples: lead exceeded the EU MRL of 0.1 mg/kg in most samples); northwest England Greater Manchester (31 samples: cadmium and lead exceeded WHO/FAO guideline values in some areas). The specific numeric concentration values from these five studies are not tabulated in the review.
Metals most frequently detected: Lead and cadmium are described as the most frequently detected toxic elements in honey, particularly from industrialized and urban areas.
EU MRL for cadmium, arsenic, or mercury in honey: No EU or Codex MRL for cadmium, arsenic, or mercury specific to honey is stated in the extracted text. Only the EU Pb MRL of 0.1 mg/kg is confirmed.
Methods (brief)
Bibliometric analysis of Scopus publications (2010 to 2026), plus narrative review. No primary samples. The review identifies ICP-MS and ICP-OES as the primary analytical methods for lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, chromium, nickel, and aluminum in honey, with AAS also used in routine monitoring.
Evidence fitness
This source is B-tier review context. It confirms the EU regulatory limit for lead in honey (0.1 mg/kg) and provides geographic scope for lead and cadmium detections across European honey studies. It does not provide quantitative concentration ranges or medians for any metal, and it does not cover maple syrup, agave, or molasses. The EU lead MRL confirmed here is for honey specifically and cannot be applied directly to maple syrup or other plant-derived syrups without verification.
Limitations
Review paper only; no primary data. Table 1 describes study findings qualitatively without numeric concentration values. No EU or Codex MRL confirmed for cadmium, arsenic, or mercury in honey. No data on maple syrup, agave syrup, or molasses as commercial food products. Geographic coverage is Europe-centric.
Related evidence
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