Honey is the sweet fluid produced by the honey bees obtained from the nectar of the flowers. Honey is useful in treatment of many wounds and treatment of other diseases like coughs. Honey contains different elements at varying concentrations. Among these elements several holds high nutritional value however certain fall under the category of toxic heavy metals. Although heavy metals like zinc and iron, have nutritional contents but excessive consumption can lead to health problems. Heavy metals have contaminated the soil, vegetables and plants of Pakistan. As heavy metals bio accumulates in the food chain, it has also contaminated the honey. In the present study, Heavy metals viz., Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Mercury (Hg) and Iron (Fe) were determined in samples of imported and local brands and non-branded honey from different markets of Lahore. The concentration of heavy metals in three sets of honey was determined by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Fifteen different samples of brands (coded R1–R15) of local, Imported & loose honey, the most normally consumed ones in Lahore, were collected from marketplaces in October 2016. For each brand, samples with close manufacture dates were obtained. The statistical significance in the heavy metals comparison in honey was done by one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's Multiple Comparison Test. All Honey samples studied for comparison have indicated the presence of the trace elements and they were high in range. The results found no significant difference P > 0.05 in Fe, Cr, Hg Concentration (mg/kg) in all study honey samples. A significant difference found in P < 0.05 in Ni and Co concentration (mg/kg) in all Honey Study Samples comparison. Only significant difference found in P < 0.05 in Pb Local Brands vs Imported Brands concentration (mg/kg) in honey samples. In case of Zn No significant different found in P > 0.05 in Local
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Brands vs Imported Brands but found significant difference P < 0.05 Local Brands vs Non- Branded Imported Brands vs Non- Branded contaminated by metals are released into the environment through their use in industrial processes and vehicles exhausted air pollution exposures at source in from of honey comb formation during poor processing. Metals concentration in various places depends on many variables, leading to their different concentrations in honey. The results of the study showed that contamination levels are high in non-branded honey as compared to Imported and local brands’ honey samples.