Composition of acacia honeys following processing, storage and adulteration

Nikolett Czipa,Clive J C Phillips,Béla Kovács

doi:10.1007/s13197-019-03587-y

Nikolett Czipa, Clive J C Phillips + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-03587-y

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Abstract

This study investigated the effect of different treatments (centrifugation and filtration; heating; adulteration with sugar syrups, and storage) and collection variables (year and region of the country) on the physicochemical properties of 44 Hungarian acacia honeys. The characteristics measured were diastase activity, hydroxyl-methyl-furfural (HMF), total phenolic content (TPC), electrical conductivity (EC), colour, pH, proline, moisture, sucrose, fructose and glucose contents, and concentration of eleven elements (As, B, Cd, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Zn). Centrifugation and filtration reduced the concentration of all examined parameters, except for moisture. Heating reduced diastase activity, proline and total phenolic concentrations and increased HMF concentration and colour value. Adulteration with sugar syrups had adverse effects on the diastase activity, proline, moisture and sugar concentrations, EC, colour and pH. Two-year storage reduced diastase activity, HMF, proline and TPC concentrations and increased sucrose concentrations. The collecting area influenced Na, Fe and As concentration, but the collecting year had no effect on the examined parameters. It is concluded that method and region of honey collection, duration of storage and processing all have major effects on the quality of acacia honey. Applied sugar syrup, although it affected honey quality, would be difficult to detect in the finished product.

Highlights

Honey is a natural substance produced by Apis mellifera from flower nectar and honeydew
This study investigated the effect of different treatments and collection variables on the physicochemical properties of 44 Hungarian acacia honeys
Centrifugation and filtration reduced the proline, total phenolic content (TPC), electrical conductivity and examined element content of honey samples, which can be ascribed to removal of fragments of the wax capping and comb pieces

Summary

Introduction

Honey is a natural substance produced by Apis mellifera from flower nectar and honeydew. Hungary, which has favourable environmental and geographical conditions for honey production, made 24,000 tons in 2016 (KSH 2016), of which about 15,000 tons was exported. The most important honey types are from the flowers of acacia, sunflower, lime, silk grass and rape in Hungary. Honey is a very complex food and its properties depend on the botanical, environmental and treatment (storage, extraction techniques, etc.) conditions. In Hungary, the climatic and geographical conditions are excellent suitable for honey production. In the European Union, electrical conductivity in blossom honeys should have a maximum of 0.8 mS/cm (Council Directive 2001/110/EC, hereafter the EU Directive). Honey has an amino acid content of about 1% of dry matter, with the most important being proline (50–85% of total amino acids, Anklam 1998). According to Oddo and Bogdanov (2004), proline and electrical conductivity are the most

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