Indian Journal of Science and Technology
DOI: 10.17485/IJST/v14i25.1055
Year: 2021, Volume: 14, Issue: 25, Pages: 2111-2118
Original Article
Banshanborbah Kharkamni1,*
Received Date:09 June 2021, Accepted Date:02 July 2021, Published Date:18 July 2021
Objective: To determine the physicochemical properties of honey to help ascertain its quality. The properties investigated in the present work are specific gravity, refractive index, moisture content, total solids, pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity, and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Methods/Statistical analysis: To determine properties of honey such as refractive index, moisture content, pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity, and hydroxymethylfurfural, the procedures prescribed by the International Honey Commission were followed. Specific gravity was determined using the method described by Rebiai et al. Total solids was calculated by the formula given by Amin et al. Statistical analyses were carried out in Microsoft Excel 2016, and all readings were presented as mean±standard deviation. Correlation studies were also used wherever applicable. Findings: The moisture content lies in the range (16.6±0.4) g/100g to (19.4±0.3) g/100g. The total solids of all honey samples were above 80%. The pH varies from (3.59±0.02) to (3.73±0.01). The free acidity recorded a minimum of (32.3±1.5) meq/kg and a maximum of (42.0±2.0) meq/kg. The honey samples recorded electrical conductivities between (0.51±0.15) mS/cm and (0.61±0.25) mS/cm. The HMF varies from (8.9±0.2)mg/kg to (34.2±0.2) mg/kg. All the properties that were measured were well within the range prescribed by international agencies responsible for the quality control of Honey. Novelty: Adulteration of honey is a major concern as it affects the health and well being of a person. The recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi which reported adulteration of honey by eight household brands in the Indian market is a cause of alarm. A noteworthy feature of the current study was that it highlighted the superior quality of honey from traditional bee-keepers of Sohra, which even have the potential for export. No adulteration was detected relative to the parameters being investigated.
Keywords
Sohra, Bee, Honey, Physicochemical properties, Quality, Adulteration
© 2021 Kharkamni. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Published By Indian Society for Education and Environment (iSee)
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