Physicochemical, elemental and functional assessment of honey, palm oil, yam flour and beans for food authenticity screening in Nigeria

Food adulteration remains a growing concern in developing countries, where economically motivated fraud can compromise food quality and consumer safety. This study evaluated the authenticity of selected commonly consumed food products in Nigeria: honey, palm oil, yam flour, and beans using physicochemical properties, elemental composition, and functional characteristics as screening indicators. Three samples each of palm oil, beans, and yam flour were purchased from major market in Ibadan, while honey samples were purchased in a highly patronized supermarket also in Ibadan. Physicochemical analyses of honey and palm oil were carried out following established international methods, while elemental profiles of honey, and yam flour, were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results from honey samples showed pH (3.67–4.17), electrical conductivity (324.00–955.67 µs/cm) and total dissolved solids (194.27–573.33 mg/L) within acceptable limits, although refractive index of honey samples ranged from 1.477 to 1.490, which was approximately 0.53 to 1.40 % lower than the minimum International Honey Commission(IHC) recommended range of 1.498 to 1.504. Mineral analysis indicated that samples H1 and H3 were richer in essential elements and showed characteristics consistent with higher quality than H2. Palm oil samples met standard quality parameters, with acceptable ranges for saponification, peroxide, acid, and iodine values. In flour samples, plantain flour (F3) had the highest mineral content, while pure yam flour (F1) was richer in Fe, Na, and Zn. Sample F4, a deliberately prepared mixture of yam, cassava and plantain flours showed a distinct elemental profile that deviated from pure yam flour, confirming the utility of AAS in detecting flour adulteration. Functional analysis of beans showed moderate variation across samples, with B1 exhibiting higher density-related properties and B2 showing higher water absorption capacity. The study demonstrates that combined physicochemical, elemental, and functional indicators can serve as practical, low-cost screening tools for food authenticity assessment in routine laboratory analysis and food control, particularly in resource-limited settings.