Utilizing Electronic Sensory Technologies to Detect Barley Malt Syrup Adulteration in Honey: E-Nose and E-Tongue Applications

Honey, a cherished natural product, is vulnerable to adulteration, posing challenges to food authenticity and safety. Barley malt syrup (BMS) has emerged as a new form of adulterant, complicating detection efforts. This study explores the significance of electronic nose (e-nose) and electronic tongue (e-tongue) technologies for detecting BMS adulteration in honey. Through comprehensive analysis, we assessed the efficacy of sensory evaluation based on human perception, physicochemical properties such as color, rheology, and sensor-based methods in discerning BMS adulteration levels ranging from 5% to 100%. Adulteration with BMS resulted in distinct shifts in sensor responses, with higher percentages of BMS leading to the dominance of BMS’s sensory characteristics over those of the honey. The compounds such as 1-octanol, hexanoic acid, and butanoic acid mainly contribute to fresh floral notes or the aroma profile of honey. Further, ethyl 3-(methylthio) propanoate and 2,4-heptadienal compounds are responsible for in-depth flavor for BMS. The concentration of ethyl 3-(methylthio) propanoate and 2,3-pentanedione have also been increased as the percentages of adulteration increases. The findings reveal that the e-nose and e-tongue demonstrate sensitivity and accuracy in detecting BMS adulteration at levels as low as 5%. Furthermore, the PCA plots provided valuable insights into sensor responses: the e-nose achieved 99.84% discrimination on PC1, while the e-tongue demonstrated 95.94% discrimination on PC1 and 3.27% discrimination on PC2, thereby enhancing the reliability of detection. These studies underscore the potential of e-nose and e-tongue as rapid, nondestructive tools for ensuring honey authenticity.