Application of solid phase mcro extraction to evaluate traces of thymol in honey

The solid phasemicroextraction techniquewas tested for thymol evaluation in honey. Thymol can be present in honey as a residue of treatments against Varroa destructor Honey was sampled from apiaries treated with anti-Varroa products whose active ingredient is thymol. Thymol evaluation was done using the internal standardmethod; benzophenone and carvacrol were tested as internal standards/ the best results were obtained using benzophenone. The application of an alkaline hydrolysis was important for obtaining quantitative recoveries.