Characterisation of two unique unifloral honeys from the boreal coniferous zone: lingonberry and mire honeys

Anneli Salonen,Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto

doi:10.23986/afsci.4931

Abstract

Studies of unifloral honeys are rare in Finland, and thus there are no common traits accepted for their characterization. In our study lingonberry and mire were characterized. The physico-chemical, organoleptic and melissopalynological properties and phenolic composition of the honeys were analysed and the floral origin of the mire honey was considered. Lingonberry honey is reddish and has a flavour of toffee, whereas mire honey has very strong aroma and reddish colour. Both honeys have high electrical conductivity and pH when compared to Finnish polyfloral honeys. They are both rich in fructose, while the number of disaccharides in lingonberry honey is four and in mire honey six. Lingonberry honey has three unifloral specific phenolic compounds. Mire honey has no unifloral-specific phenolic compounds, and its floral origin is not clearly defined.

Highlights

Honey can be classified in several ways, e.g. by its source
We investigated the physico-chemical values for Finnish lingonberry and mire honey and described here their sensorial properties and melissopalynology as well as the phenolic acids and flavonoids as a basis for distinguishing these two unifloral honeys from other Finnish unifloral and multifloral honeys
Lingonberry honey was rich in fructose which means that the ratio of fructose/glucose was 1.48 and the ratio of glucose/water was 1.68

Summary

Introduction

Honey can be classified in several ways, e.g. by its source. The European Council Directive 2001/110/EC concerning honey allows specific denominations of honeys where the simple product name “honey”can be supplemented by information on the floral, vegetable, regional, territorial or topographical origin (European Commission 2002). The source of the honey may be the mixed flora of a specific biotope in the foraging area of the beehive, and in some cases this kind of honey may have a unique organoleptic nature due to amount and combination of various components specific to this honey. In these cases EU directive concerning honey allows the specific denomination, where the product name “honey” is supplemented by the information on the topographical origin. Unifloral and biotope honeys may have a special taste or consist of substances that are beneficial to human health, and this may often make their commercial value greater than that of multifloral honeys (Bogdanov et al 2008)

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion