A1 Journal article (refereed)
DNA traces the origin of honey by identifying plants, bacteria and fungi (2021)

Wirta, H., Abrego, N., Miller, K., Roslin, T., & Vesterinen, E. (2021). DNA traces the origin of honey by identifying plants, bacteria and fungi. Scientific Reports, 11, Article 4798. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84174-0

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Wirta, Helena; Abrego, Nerea; Miller, Kirsten; Roslin, Tomas; Vesterinen, Eero

Journal or series: Scientific Reports

eISSN: 2045-2322

Publication year: 2021

Volume: 11

Article number: 4798

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84174-0

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/74477

Abstract

The regional origin of a food product commonly affects its value. To this, DNA-based identification of tissue remains could offer fine resolution. For honey, this would allow the usage of not only pollen but all plant tissue, and also that of microbes in the product, for discerning the origin. Here we examined how plant, bacterial and fungal taxa identified by DNA metabarcoding and metagenomics differentiate between honey samples from three neighbouring countries. To establish how the taxonomic contents of honey reflect the country of origin, we used joint species distribution modelling. At the lowest taxonomic level by metabarcoding, with operational taxonomic units, the country of origin explained the majority of variation in the data (70–79%), with plant and fungal gene regions providing the clearest distinction between countries. At the taxonomic level of genera, plants provided the most separation between countries with both metabarcoding and metagenomics. The DNA-based methods distinguish the countries more than the morphological pollen identification and the removal of pollen has only a minor effect on taxonomic recovery by DNA. As we find good resolution among honeys from regions with similar biota, DNA-based methods hold great promise for resolving honey origins among more different regions.

Keywords: foodstuffs; honey; origin (properties); protection of origin; DNA analysis; organic material; pollen; microbes

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2021

JUFO rating: 1