FACTOR AFFECTING BEE HONEY QUALITY ACCEPTANCE INCLUDING CONTENTS AND EXTRACTION METHOD

Abstract

The Egyptian Standard ES: 355-1 / 2005 indicates that the content of nectar honeys from reducing sugars should not be less than 60%, while the content of reducing sugars in honeydew honeys should not be less than 40%. While the sucrose content should not exceed 10% in the case of citrus honey, and not more than 5% for each of Egyptian clover honey, cotton, fennel honey, and multifloral honey. These standards were examined within 165 randomized bee honey samples at the end of nectar honey flow and after honey extracted. The honey authenticity characterization according to the plants sources (i.e. citrus, clover, cotton, fennel, multifloral and unknown) In addition to artificial honey. Characters considered were extract method (only honey combs versus all combs), acceptance, pollen contents and percent sugars (i.e. fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and reducing sugars). For citrus honey 37 ones were accepted and 6 were rejected. For clover ones 5 were accepted and 16 were rejected. For cotton ones 18 were accepted and 5 were rejected. For fennel ones 26 were accepted and 4 were rejected. For multifloral honeys 10 were accepted and 8 were rejected for unknown honeys and artificial honey (30) all were rejected. Overall acceptance was 96 versus 69 rejections. For single factor affected acceptance higher fructose, and glucose were positively highly significant, while higher maltose was negatively significant. Applying multiple regressions indicated that increase of sucrose percentage and extracting methods were the significant factors influenced honey acceptance with Egyptian standards. The honey market needs future studies to follow up the management of apiaries in honey production and to limit the methods of honey adulteration.