Effect of storage of honey for different periods at different temperatures on the HMF contents of Indian honey.

摘要

Hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) level increases with temperature, and a high HMF content is an indication of inferior and heated honey. This study investigated the effect of different storage periods at different temperatures on the HMF content of 58 honey samples from Himachal Pradesh and the adjoining area of Haryana and Punjab in India. The honey samples were those produced by Apis mellifera (n=39), A. cerana (n=6), A. florea (n=5), A. dorsata (n=3), and obtained from commercial markets (n=5). The samples were stored at 22+or-3.0 degrees C or 40 degrees C for 345 days, and were analysed for HMF value (ppm) at baseline (day 0) and at 15-day intervals using the Fiehe's test. All honey samples were negative for HMF at baseline. Also, those stored at 22+or-3.0 degrees C were negative for HMF up to 345 days of storage. However, samples stored at 40 degrees C showed an increase in HMF levels (56.23 to >124.95 ppm) between 210 and 345 days of storage. The present findings will help policy-makers to determine maximum storage and heating limits for Indian honeys.