Chemical analysis of selected meads produced in Poland

Abstract

The aim of this study was the analysis of 25 commercially available meads obtained from three leading producers in Poland. In the course of the analyses, the concentration of nine organic acids was determined using the capillary isotachophoresis technique, and the total polyphenol content (58–699 mg/L GAE) and the antioxidant activity were expressed as FRAP (234–6422 µmol/L Fe2+) using spectrophotometric methods. We were able to indicate the acids whose main source was honey—gluconic acid (561–2287 mg/L) and formic acid (35–176 mg/L), the one that was formed during alcoholic fermentation—succinic acid (280–845 mg/L), and also those originating from the additives in the form of fruit juices, or as a result of acidification—tartaric acid (< LOD–159 mg/L), malic acid (135–1611 mg/L) or citric acid (125–4576 mg/L). Our results provide a further contribution to the general knowledge of the chemical composition of meads, and, in particular, these are the first results of this kind for meads commercially available in Poland. The analysis of principal components showed the correlation structure of the examined parameters and the existence of two clusters containing specific meads.