Reported Grayanotoxin Concentrations in Mad Honey
Real, laboratory-measured grayanotoxin (GTX I and III) ranges in mad honey, plotted against the risk bands. The headline: potency varies close to 90-fold from batch to batch.
Reported ranges against the risk bands
Grayanotoxin I (Ahn et al., 2022, Nepal)
Grayanotoxin III (Ahn et al., 2022, Nepal)
Linked to acute intoxication (clinical literature)
Total grayanotoxin concentration (mg/kg of honey)
The data
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| Measure | Source | Min (mg/kg) | Max (mg/kg) | Bands spanned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayanotoxin I | Ahn et al. (2022), Nepal | 0.75 | 64.86 | Trace to High | LC-MS/MS. 33 of 60 samples positive. |
| Grayanotoxin III | Ahn et al. (2022), Nepal | 0.25 | 63.99 | Trace to High | LC-MS/MS. Same sample set. |
| Linked to acute intoxication | Clinical literature (compiled) | ~0.5 | ~54 | Trace to High | Approximate range across reported poisoning cases. |
What this means for risk
The European Food Safety Authority (2023) derived a reference point (a BMDL10) of 15.3 micrograms per kilogram of body weight for the sum of grayanotoxins I and III, and concluded that concentrations in commercially available mad honey raise health concerns. A reference point is used to assess risk. It is not a safe dose, and EFSA identified no intake that is safe for everyone.
As an illustration, a 20 g serving of honey at the top of this reported range (about 65 mg/kg) would contain roughly 1.3 mg of grayanotoxins, which is above the EFSA reference point for a 70 kg adult (about 1.07 mg). To run your own numbers, use the Grayanotoxin Dose Calculator.
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Cite this
More in this hub
Sources
- Ahn SY, Kim S, Cho H (2022). Determination of grayanotoxin I and grayanotoxin III in mad honey from Nepal using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Analytical Science and Technology 35(2), 82 to 91. GTX I measured at 0.75 to 64.86 mg/kg and GTX III at 0.25 to 63.99 mg/kg, with 33 of 60 samples positive.
- EFSA CONTAM Panel (2023). Risks for human health related to the presence of grayanotoxins in certain honey. EFSA Journal 2023;21(3):e07866. Reference point (BMDL10) of 15.3 micrograms per kilogram of body weight for the sum of GTX I and III. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7866
- Acute-intoxication range (approximately 0.5 to 54 mg/kg) is compiled from published clinical reports of mad honey poisoning. EFSA (2023) reviews the human intoxication data.
