Methyl anthranilate content in Italian citrus honey determined by HS-SPME-GC

An headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography (HS-SPME-GC) method, previously developed and validated, was applied to the determination of the methyl anthranilate (MA) content of 75 Italian citrus honeys (11 of lemon, 44 of orange and 20 of Citrus spp.). Twenty-four samples were purchased on the local market and 51 were provided by CRA-API (Consiglio Nazionale per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura-Istituto Nazionale di Apicoltura e Bachicoltura) (Bologna, Italy). All the samples had a MA content above the limit of detection (LOD) (0.149 μg g−1) of the analytical method. The concentration range was between 0.46 and 2.52 μg g−1 and the overall average MA content was 1.19 μg g−1. The honeys with the highest mean MA content were the orange honeys followed by Citrus spp. and lemon (1.29 ± 0.461, 1.12 ± 0.511 and 0.92 ± 0.39 μg g−1, respectively). No significant differences were measured between commercial and authenticated samples.