Detection of Water Content in Honey by Electromagnetics Characterization Measurements

The quality of a honey can be affected by adulteration through the addition of often unauthorized substances such as sugar syrups or water. The water content in honeys is restricted to 20% according to CODEX ALIMENTARIUS. This research proposes a method which will allow to detect the water content in the honey directly in the jar. The method uses electromagnetic probing with several antennas around the jar. This method is based on the knowledge of the dielectric contrast between a pure honey and a honey containing different water contents. To validate this contrast, a campaign of dielectric measurements has been investigated on two different commercial honeys (H1 and H2) with arbitrary and controlled added water. The added water content in the honey has been varied from 0% to 15%. The experimental setup uses a coaxial transmission line with a sample holder. The frequency range extends from 100MHz to 5000 MHz. The mixtures of honeys with water have been measured at an ambient temperature (25 degrees C).