The quality of honey is influenced by botanical origins and acidity. 5‐Hydroxymethyl‐2‐furaldehyde (HMF) is a well‐monitored indicator for freshness and quality, whereas no restriction is reported for 2‐furfural. The aim of the study is the determination of these compounds in 21 Italian honey samples through high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In order to validate the HPLC method, the detection and quantification limits (LOD and LOQ, respectively), recovery, precision (repeatability), and linearity were determined. The quantity of HMF extracted ranges from 3.35 to 43.21 mg/kg, and 2‐furfural is found only in chestnut and wood samples in the range of 0.3–1.7 mg/kg. In addition, the effect of storage time effect was investigated for HMF, 2‐furfural, and free and lactone acidities over a 4‐month period. Finally, another compound was revealed and, on the basis of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy, HPLC mass spectrometry, UV spectra, and chromatographic results, is hypothesized to be 2‐(furan‐2‐methyl)‐4‐methoxyfuran‐3‐(2H)‐one. The absence of any aldehyde group in the proposed compound is confirmed by the 2,4‐dinitrophenylhydrazine spectroscopic method. Profiles of HMF, 2‐furfural, and the hypothesized furanic compound have been outlined according to the floral origin of the honey.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.