*2.10. Chromatographic Analysis of Honey Composition*

Chromatographic analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) is the basis for determining the composition and quality of bee honey. The results of these analyses are interpreted using statistical tools. The determination is quick, easy and effective, but costly. This method has many advantages: speed of measurement, low cost and use of a small amount of the test sample, which will not be destroyed. Rich libraries of spectra facilitate the identification of unknown substances. In the spectrum, different peaks may overlap, which can make interpretation difficult. In addition, the cost of purchasing equipment is high [125–129].

These methods allow for the differentiation of the botanical origin of monofloral and polyfloral honeys. However, HPLC shows an advantage over PTR-MS by providing much better differentiation of all analyzed types of honey. Chromatographic fingerprints recorded at 210 nm allow for the best classification of honey. Mass spectrometry with the proton transfer reaction is useful for distinguishing buckwheat honey [125–129].
