Detection of adulterated commercial Spanish beeswax

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 132; no. 1; pp. 642 - 648
• Main Authors: Serra Bonvehi, J., Orantes Bermejo, F.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adulteration; Animals; Beeswax; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, Gas - methods; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gas chromatography; General aspects; Hydrocarbons - analysis; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Microcrystalline wax; Stearic Acids - chemistry; Waxes - chemical synthesis; Waxes - chemistry; Microcrystalline wax; Gas chromatography; Adulteration; Beeswax; Analysis method; Spanish; Control method; Detection; Wax
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.10.104

► Spanish beeswax characterization by high temperature gas chromatography. ► The paraffinic hydrocarbons contents surpassed limit recommended by IHC. ► Adulteration of beeswax with hydrocarbons from paraffins and microwaxes. ► Higher concentration of even numbered hydrocarbons in adulterated beeswax. ► Adulterations between 1% and 5% could be detected accurately. The physical and chemical parameters (melting point and saponification number), and the fraction of hydrocarbons, monoesters, acids and alcohols have been determined in 90 samples of Spanish commercial beeswax from Apis mellifera L. The adulteration with paraffins of different melting point, cow tallow, stearic acid, and carnauba wax were determined by HTGC–FID/MS detection, and the research was focussed mainly on paraffins and microcrystallines waxes. In general, the added adulterant can be identified by the presence of non-naturally beeswax components, and by the differences of values of selected components between pure and adulterated beeswax. The detection limits were determined using pure and adulterated beeswax with different amounts of added waxes (5%, 10%, 20% and 30%). Percentages higher than 1–5% of each adulterant can be detected in the mixtures. Paraffin waxes were confirmed in 33 of the 90 samples analysed at concentrations between 5% and 30%.