NIR transflectance spectroscopy was used to analyze fructose, glucose, and moisture in honey. A total of 161 honey samples were collected during 1992 (46), 1995 (58), and 1996 (57). Samples were analyzed by instrumental, enzymatic (fructose and glucose), and refractometric (moisture) methods. Initially, different calibrations were performed for each of the 3 years of sampling. Good predictions were obtained for all three components with equations of the particular year. But good predictions were not always obtained when the equations calculated one year were applied to samples from another year. To perform a lasting calibration, unique calibration (121 samples) and validation (40 samples) sets were built; honeys of the 3 years were included in both sets. Good statistics (bias, standard error of validation (SEV), and R(2)) were obtained for all three components of the validation set. No statistically significant differences (p = 0.05) were found between instrumental and reference methods.

NIR transflectance spectroscopy was used to determine polarimetric parameters (direct polarization, polarization after inversion, specific rotation in dry matter, and polarization due to nonmonosaccharides) and sucrose in honey. In total, 156 honey samples were collected during 1992 (45 samples), 1995 (56 samples), and 1996 (55 samples). Samples were analyzed by NIR spectroscopy and polarimetric methods. Calibration (118 samples) and validation (38 samples) sets were made up; honeys from the three years were included in both sets. Calibrations were performed by modified partial least-squares regression and scatter correction by standard normal variation and detrend methods. For direct polarization, polarization after inversion, specific rotation in dry matter, and polarization due to nonmonosaccharides, good statistics (bias, SEV, and R(2)) were obtained for the validation set, and no statistically (p = 0.05) significant differences were found between instrumental and polarimetric methods for these parameters. Statistical data for sucrose were not as good as those of the other parameters. Therefore, NIR spectroscopy is not an effective method for quantitative analysis of sucrose in these honey samples. However, NIR spectroscopy may be an acceptable method for semiquantitative evaluation of sucrose for honeys, such as those in our study, containing up to 3% of sucrose. Further work is necessary to validate the uncertainty at higher levels.