Comparison of selected quality characteristics of domestic and Thailand multifloral honeys

摘要

The aim of this paper was to compare the microbiological and sensory quality of Polish and Thailand multifloral honeys. The honeys selected for testing were classified into the multifloral honey group on the basis of a pollen analysis. The microbiological analyses of multifloral honey samples confirmed a good microbiological quality of the honey samples tested. No presence of pathogenic bacteria of the species Salmonella has been demonstrated. The total number of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms and the number of mesophilic bacteria of the species Bacillus were less than the permissible microbiological limits for bee products. A significant excess of yeasts and moulds was found in one Thailand honey sample, which produced undesirable sensory factors as a result of honey fermentation. The tests performed revealed that lime and multifloral honeys were the varieties most preferred by consumers and that most consumers presented a neutral attitude towards imported honeys. A consumer sensory test showed differences in the quality of the honey samples tested. Three samples of domestic multifloral honeys and one sample of imported honey were assessed as the most attractive. Two Thailand honey samples were characterized by a significantly lower sensory quality than the other samples tested in the study. The method of sensory profiling applied in this study made it possible to be obtained precise information on the reasons for consumers' preferences identified during the hedonic test. The results for the most unattractive samples obtained by this method were confirmed by the results of microbiological and physicochemical analyses.