Honey Powder: Drying Methods, Physicochemical Properties, and Its Applications in Food Formulations

Abstract

Honey is an organic natural substance that is produced from the nectar of flowers by Apis mellifera and is a sweet flavorful liquid. It is one of the most popular natural sweet substances. It works as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antimicrobial agent and is used as medicine for burns, ulcers, diabetes, and wound healing. Because of its high density and viscosity, usage of liquid honey in the food and pharmaceutical industries is limited, making honey powder an enticing substitute. However, there are still challenges facing the industry and researchers in the production of powdered honey. The bacteria that cause honey to deteriorate are eliminated by thermal processing. The physicochemical characteristics of dried honey powder, its storage stability, its applications in the food industry, and the marketed goods have all been covered in this review, along with the several processing techniques that have been proposed for its production. Research has been carried out on spray drying, freeze drying, vacuum drying, and microwave drying as substitutes for conventional heat processing.