5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Untargeted ion mobility liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry distinguished seasonal chemical profiles in 39 Scottish and commercial honey samples.

• 2

  Paired spring and summer samples from approximately nine Aberdeenshire apiaries enabled a more direct assessment of seasonal variation.

• 3

  Spring and summer markers included galangin, quercetin, sebacic acid, tricoumaroyl spermidine, suberic acid, and luteolin-7-glucuronide.

• 4

  Heather honey markers included 3-phenyllactic acid, abscisic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamaldehyde, and kaempferol-related compounds.

• 5

  The exploratory models were intended for marker discovery, and independent validation and broader sampling are needed before routine authentication use.