Application of ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis to quantify and characterise effects of age, temperature, syrup adulteration and irradiation on near-infrared (NIR) spectral data of honey

[Display omitted] •Age, temperature, and syrup adulteration had significant effects on the spectra of honey.•The effect of irradiation treatment on honey was not significant.•A significant non-linear interaction was observed between age and syrup adulteration.•The age and adulteration interaction decreased with time, but remained after 9 months. NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis has proven to be a rapid and cost-effective screening tool for the detection of syrup-adulterated honey. Processing and storage conditions which alter the chemical and physical state of honey may affect the spectra. The effects of age, storage temperature, syrup adulteration (10 and 20% w/w) and irradiation treatment on the NIR spectra of honey were investigated as a function of time with ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA), an experimental design-focused exploratory data analysis method. The factors ‘time’, ‘temperature’ and ‘adulteration’ were found to have significant effects (p