Honey Testing Lab India — NMR · C3/C4 · FSSAI · NABL Accredited
Auriga Research operates India's most searched-for honey testing lab — NABL-accredited under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and FSSAI-notified for honey adulteration detection, authenticity verification, and regulatory compliance. Honey is one of the most adulterated commodities globally, and the sophistication of syrup-based fraud now demands an analytical workflow that goes beyond traditional chemical tests.
Our honey testing covers the full FSSAI battery: HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural), diastase activity, C3/C4 sugar ratio by in-house IRMS (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry per AOAC 998.12), NMR authenticity fingerprinting performed at a specialist accredited partner facility under NABL chain of custody, antibiotic residues by LC-MS/MS, pesticide multi-residue screening, moisture, sugars, proline, electrical conductivity, and heavy metals by ICP-MS.
Backed by the Arbro Group's analytical heritage — Arbro Lab since 1990, Auriga Research since 2007 — with NABL ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, our reports are accepted by FSSAI licensing officers, APEDA export authorities, EIC Export Inspection Agencies, EU importers, and consumer protection forums. FSSAI strengthened honey testing requirements following the 2020–2021 syrup adulteration investigations, and NMR-based Honey Authenticity Marker (HAM) testing is now an EU import requirement for Indian honey exporters.
Honey Testing Parameters
Each parameter is mapped to its analytical method and the FSSAI / EU regulatory limit it supports — so QA, regulatory, and export teams can match scope to specification at a glance.
C3/C4 Sugar Ratio (SCIRA)
Carbon Isotope Ratio Analysis (SCIRA / IRMS) per AOAC 998.12 — detects cane sugar and corn syrup adulteration above 7%. Performed in-house on Auriga's IRMS.
NMR Authenticity Fingerprinting
Honey Authenticity Marker (HAM) NMR fingerprinting against validated reference databases — detects rice syrup, beet syrup, and sophisticated adulterants. Performed at a specialist accredited partner facility under NABL chain of custody.
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)
HMF by HPLC and spectrophotometry — FSSAI maximum 40 mg/kg (80 mg/kg for tropical origin). Marker for overheating, ageing, and acid hydrolysis fraud.
Diastase Activity
Diastase activity by the Schade method — minimum 8 Schade units (3 DN for tropical origins) per FSSAI. Low values indicate overheating or adulteration.
Moisture Content
Moisture content by refractometry — FSSAI maximum 20%. High moisture indicates immature harvest or dilution fraud.
Reducing & Total Sugars
Reducing sugars (minimum 65% for floral honey), sucrose content (maximum 5%), and full sugar profile by HPLC.
Antibiotic Residues
Chloramphenicol (zero-tolerance), tetracyclines, streptomycin, sulphonamides, nitrofuran metabolites, and fluoroquinolones by LC-MS/MS at 0.1–0.3 ppb detection limits.
Pesticide Multi-Residue
Multi-residue pesticide screening — neonicotinoids, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids by GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS for EU MRL compliance.
Proline (Authenticity)
Proline content by spectrophotometry — authenticity marker for genuine floral honey (minimum 180 mg/kg under EU directive).
Heavy Metals
Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury by ICP-MS — environmental contamination and packaging migration markers.
Electrical Conductivity
Electrical conductivity (mS/cm) — discriminates blossom honey from honeydew honey and supports botanical origin verification.
FSSAI Compliance Package
Single CoA covering the full FSS (Food Products Standards) Regulations 2011 honey panel — for licensing, surveillance response, and marketplace listing.
* NMR fingerprinting is performed at a specialist accredited partner facility under NABL chain of custody. Sample receipt, transport, and result authentication run through Auriga's ISO/IEC 17025:2017 quality system; the partner laboratory holds its own accreditation for the NMR method. Every other parameter on this page — including IRMS-based C3/C4 SCIRA, LC-MS/MS antibiotic residues, and ICP-MS heavy metals — is performed in-house at Auriga.
How It Works
Get a Quote
Share your product type and the parameters you need tested. Your dedicated SPOC will confirm the testing scope, the applicable method, and the exact sample quantity required for your specific panel before you dispatch anything.
Send Your Sample
Dispatch your sample with a completed Test Request Form to the nearest Auriga lab. Each sample is individually bar coded and registered in YLIMS, Auriga's in-house Laboratory Information Management System, upon receipt. Testing begins within 24 hours of sample registration.
Testing and QA Review
Your sample is tested against the confirmed validated method by Auriga's scientific team. Every result passes through a formal internal QA review and sign-off before the report is generated.
Receive Your NABL Report
Your NABL-accredited test report is delivered digitally within the committed turnaround time. Reports carry Auriga's NABL accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and are accepted by FSSAI, APEDA, EIC, and major international buyers. You can track your sample status in real time through YLIMS at any point in the process.
Turnaround Time
| Panel | Standard TAT | Express |
|---|---|---|
| Routine quality parameters (HMF, moisture, diastase, sugars) | 5–7 business days | Available |
| C3/C4 sugar ratio by in-house IRMS (SCIRA per AOAC 998.12) | 7–10 business days | Available |
| NMR authenticity fingerprinting (via accredited partner under NABL chain of custody) | 10–15 business days | On request |
| Antibiotic residue screening by LC-MS/MS | 7–10 business days | Available |
| Pesticide multi-residue screening | 7–10 business days | Available |
| Heavy metals by ICP-MS | 5–7 business days | Available |
| Comprehensive honey authentication panel (full scope) | ~15 business days | On request |
Who Needs This Testing
- Honey brands needing FSSAI batch release, licence applications, and FSSAI/APEDA compliance documentation.
- Honey exporters shipping to EU markets that require Honey Authenticity Marker (HAM) NMR testing for import clearance.
- Honey exporters shipping to USA and Middle East destinations requiring SCIRA / IRMS C3/C4 sugar ratio certification.
- D2C honey brands launching on Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket where purity and "raw honey" claims must be analytically substantiated.
- Apiculture cooperatives and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) verifying member-supplied honey before pooling for export.
- Importers verifying supply chain authenticity and detecting upstream syrup-blending fraud.
- Retail chains and HoReCa operators conducting supplier due diligence on private-label honey procurement.
- FSSAI surveillance respondents and brands contesting consumer-forum complaints with an NABL-accredited counter-report.
Why Auriga for Honey Testing
India's #1-searched honey testing lab
Auriga ranks #1 on Google for "honey testing lab" — built on two decades of credible adulteration work, consistent regulatory acceptance, and AI Overview presence on the query.
IRMS and HPLC in-house
C3/C4 sugar ratio (SCIRA) by IRMS, HMF and sugars by HPLC, and the full FSSAI battery run on Auriga's own instruments — no partner-lab dependency for the regulatory baseline.
NMR via accredited partner under NABL chain of custody
Honey Authenticity Marker (HAM) NMR fingerprinting at a specialist partner facility — sample receipt, transport, and result authentication run through Auriga's ISO/IEC 17025:2017 quality system; the partner lab holds its own accreditation for the NMR method.
NABL-accredited and FSSAI-approved
Reports carry evidentiary weight under the FSS Act 2006 with FSSAI Designated Officers and EIC Export Inspection Agencies for dispatch certification.
Antibiotic and pesticide residues by LC-MS/MS
Chloramphenicol zero-tolerance, tetracyclines, streptomycin, nitrofurans, and neonicotinoid pesticides quantified at 0.1–0.3 ppb — meeting the strictest EU MRL requirements.
Arbro Group analytical heritage
Established analytical heritage through the Arbro Group (Arbro Lab since 1990, Auriga Research since 2007), with NABL ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation — the audit trail FSSAI, APEDA, EIC, and EU importers look for.