Detection of adulteration in mulberry pekmez samples added various sugar syrups with 13C/12C isotope ratio analysis method

Mulberry pekmez can be adulterated in different ways either during the production process or after production is completed. To identify these adulterations, stable carbon isotope ratio analysis (SCIRA) was performed on the model examples prepared by adding saccharose syrup (SS), glucose syrup (GS) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) into two different pure mulberry pekmez samples in the ratios of 0%, 10%, 30% and 50%. The δ13C ratio of the pure mulberry pekmez was determined as −26.60‰ on average, the saccharose syrup as −24.80‰, the glucose syrup as −11.20‰ and the high-fructose corn syrup as −11.40‰. In identifying the adulteration made to pekmez, especially with the high-fructose corn syrup, which is obtained from corn starch, and with the glucose syrup, the δ13C ratio comes into prominence. However it remains impossible identify the adulterations made with the saccharose, which is obtained from beet sugar, or invert sugar syrups.