Physicochemical Composition of Local and Imported Honeys Associated with Quality Standards

Abstract

The compliance with honey standards is crucial for its validity and quality. The present study evaluated the botanical origin (pollen analysis) and physicochemical properties: moisture, color, electrical conductivity (EC), free acidity (FA), pH, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and individual sugar content of forty local and imported honey samples. The local honey exhibited low moisture and HMF (14.9% and 3.8 mg/kg, respectively) than imported honey (17.2% and 23 mg/kg, respectively). Furthermore, the local honey showed higher EC and diastase activity (1.19 mS/cm and 11.9 DN, respectively) compared to imported honey (0.35 mS/cm and 7.6 DN, respectively). The mean FA of local honey (61 meq/kg) was significantly naturally higher than that of imported honey (18 meq/kg). All local nectar honey that originated from Acacia spp. exhibited naturally higher FA values that exceeded the standard limit (≤50 meq/kg). The Pfund color scale ranged from 20 to 150 mm in local honey and from 10 to 116 mm in imported honey. The local honey was darker, with a mean value of 102.3 mm, and was significantly different from imported honey (72.7 mm). The mean pH values of local and imported honey were 5.0 and 4.5, respectively. Furthermore, the local honey was more diverse in pollen grain taxa compared to imported honey. Local and imported honey elicited a significant difference regarding their sugar content within individual honey type. The mean content of fructose, glucose, sucrose, and reducing sugar of local honey (39.7%, 31.5%, 2.8%, and 71.2%, respectively) and imported honey (39.2%, 31.8%, 0.7%, and 72.0%, respectively) were within the permitted quality standards. This study indicates the necessity of increasing the awareness regarding quality investigations for healthy honey with good nutritional value.

Keywords: honey; melissopalynological analysis; physicochemical properties; quality control.

Figure 1

HPLC-based sugar profile of local honey and imported honey. (A) Local honey: ACS1–7 (Acacia gerardii honey from seven locations), SDS1–7 (Sidr, Ziziphus sp. honey from seven locations), ALS (alfalfa honey), SES (Vachellia seyal honey), SMS (Acacia tortilis honey), and SHS (Shafallah–caper bush honey, Capparis spinose). (B) Imported honey: SMF (multifloral honey, Spain), IMF (multifloral honey, India), PAS1–6 (honey imported from different countries but packed in KSA), MKN1–2 (manuka honey, New Zealand), BFG (black forest honey, Germany), CMF (multifloral honey, China), CSD (Sidr, Ziziphus sp. honey, China), PAG (Robinia pseudoacacia black locust honey, Germany), SWMF (multifloral honey, Switzerland), BMF (multifloral honey, United Kingdom), FMF (multifloral honey, France), AMF (multifloral honey, Australia), CTE (citrus honey, Egypt), and KSD (Sidr, Ziziphus sp. Pakistan).