Physical-chemical characterization of commercial honeys from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Honey is a natural product produced by honey bees whose composition depends on factors such as climate, soil and floral source. It is one of the foods naturally produced, with a characteristic taste and considerable nutritional value. Due to the worldwide demand for large-scale production and seasonality, adulteration has become increasingly frequent. Minas Gerais is the fourth largest Brazilian state producer of honey. Considering that there are few studies on the characterization of honeys in this state and none related to its mesoregions, the objective of this study was to evaluate the physical-chemical, electrical and rheological characteristics of 48 honeys collected in 6 mesoregions of Minas Gerais, corresponding to 75% of its production area. The present study focused on characterization, investigation of the possibility of adulteration and the influence of blossom and regions on the physical-chemical, rheological and electrical properties. Statistical characterization using principal component analysis and clustering were also used. The results suggested that the samples were compatible with the identity and quality standards recommended by Brazilian legislation. Furthermore, the results from rheological analysis and impedance spectroscopy showed that there was a profile specific for each type of blossom. The use of statistical methods on physical-chemical results was a useful tool to characterize different types of honey based on the variables of each group in relation to the similarity between the samples.