Comparison between Karl Fischer and refractometric method for determination of water content in honey

The aim of this work was to compare refractometric index (RI) and Karl Fischer (KF) titration methods for water content measurement in honeys. In addition, the effectiveness of two different solvents (methanol (M) and methanol:formamide in the ratio 1:1 (M + F)) was evaluated. Results indicated that RI and KF methods yielded similar results for water content determination in honeys; mainly, when the solvent M + F was used. This solvent mixture (M + F) also allowed a reduction in titration time which may be a potential advantage for measuring water content in honey.