Determination of nitroimidazole and fumagillin residues in honey employing Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry: An insight in the 2023-2024 Greek honey production

Honey bees (Apis sp.) are vital to ecosystems, enhancing agricultural productivity and preserving biodiversity. However, the observed decline of their populations, caused by, among other, Nosema infections has led to the use of the antibiotics fumagillin and nitroimidazoles. Nonetheless, due to increasing concerns over their genotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties, the presence of fumagillin residues in honey is prohibited, while similar is the case for the parent nitroimidazoles and their metabolites in animal-derived food. Within this context and considering the limited availability of pertinent data on Greek honey, we have developed and applied robust analytical methods for the detection of fumagillin and nitroimidazole residues in honey, employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The developed protocols, based on solid phase extraction, proved fit for the purpose of detecting fumagillin and nitroimidazoles in honey samples with substantial sensitivity (detection capability, CCβ not exceeding 0.78 μg/kg), comparable to recent literature, and could be applied in routine analyses to ensure consumers’ safety. Application of the methods in 30 Greek honey samples did not unveil residues above the CCβ of the analytes, and the developed pipeline can be further exploited in future large-scale monitoring studies to investigate Greek apiculture and its adherence to regulatory obligations.