The Turkish Food Codex Honey Communiqué (Communiqué no: 2012 / 2012) was published by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock in 58. The purpose of this communiqué is to define the characteristics to be considered during the production, preparation, processing, storage, transportation and placing on the market of honey with appropriate techniques and hygienic conditions. Pursuant to the principles of this Communiqué, no food additives should be added to the honey. It is not possible for consumers to distinguish it by looking at the color, taste, smell or flowability of the fake honey. Counterfeit honey can only be understood after a number of chemical analyzes in laboratories.

C13 and C4 analysis methods are now internationally accepted and very effective methods for detecting the ingenuity and imitation of honey.

According to the aforementioned communiqué, the difference between protein and raw honey delta C13 values ​​in flower honey is minus 1 or more positive, whereas the ratio of C13 sugars calculated from protein and raw honey delta C4 values ​​must be at most 7 percent. Honey above these values ​​means honey that has been imitated or incorporated into different substances.

In the authorized laboratories, C13 and C4 determination studies are carried out in honey within the scope of chemical tests and all kinds of additives added to honey can be detected by C13 and C4 analysis methods using isotope ratio mass spectrometer system (IRMS). In these studies, the standards published by domestic and foreign organizations are complied with. The main standards used in the analyzes are as follows:

• TS 13357 Determination of proline content in honey
• TS 13364 Honey - Determination of diastase activity
• TS 13365 Honey - Determination of water content - Refractometric method
• TS 13366 Honey - Determination of electrical conductivity
• TS 13360 Honey - Determination of free acid content
• TS 3036 Honey (determination of invert sugar and determination of sucrose content)