Chemical and Physical Properties of Adulterated Honey and Developing Means of Identifying Adulterants

Abstract

Honey is defined as a naturally sweet mixture produced by bees (Apis mellifera) from the nectar or from secretions of living parts of plants or excretions of plant sucking insects on the living parts of plants transform and combine with specific substances of their own (such as enzymes), deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in the beeswax honeycombs to ripen and mature. It is typical sugary foodstuff; according to present-day regulations, apart from other forms of honey no other or additives can be added to it. The aim of this study was to develop identification means of adulterated honey using chemical and physical analysis. Adulteration of honey was obtained by mixing and homogenizing major honey adulterants so far known like sugar, banana, “sheb”, molasses and water with different ratio. Moisture content, electrical conductivity, PH, ash, free acidity (FA) and Hydroxymehylfurfural of adulterated and pure honey were determined. The pure honey free acidity content is significantly different from adulterated honey in all treatments group (P<0.05). Highest FA content (458.33±1.66 meq/kg) recorded in (honey: sugar: water: sheb) treatment. Adulteration affects the purity and quality properties of honey, by using the ash content, free acidity and electrical conductivity adulteration can be identified and color parameter is not recommended for identification of adulterated honey.