I

ANNO 4 Numero 2
Chiara Makhloufi [1], Paul Schweitzer [2], Blel Azouzi [3], Livia Persano Oddo [4], Ali Choukri [3], Laaredj Hocine [1], Giancarlo Ricciardelli D'Albore [5]

Quality and characterisation of Algerian honey

[1] Université ibn Khaldoun Tiaret, Faculté des sciences agronomiques et vétérinaires, Tiaret, Algerie
[2] Cetam Lorraine, Laboratoire d'analyses et d'éecologie apicole, Guenange, France
[3]Centre universitaire de Djelfa, Institut d'Agro-pastoralisme, Djelfa, Algerie
[4]CRA - Istituto sperimentale per la zoologia agraria, sez. apicoltura, Roma, Italia
[5] Dip. Scienze agrarie, Università degli studi, Perugia, Italia

Corresponding author: livia.persano@apicoltura.org

An analytical investigation was carried out on 66 honey samples produced and marketed in different regions of Algeria, in order to evaluate their qualitative level, to verify their compliance with the international standards and to study their melissopalynological characteristics.

The results show that the professional level of beekeepers often does not allow the production of high quality honey: 8 samples did not comply with the international norms, and only 62% of the samples were estimated to be of good quality, while 38% of them showed defects, mainly depending on productive and/or storage techniques.

The pollen analysis showed that the most important botanical species in honey production are Eucalyptus spp., Umbelliferae (above all Pimpinella), Hedysarum, Compositae (mainly Carduus), Trifolium spp., Echium, Rubus, Cruciferae and Citrus.

Only 16 samples were judged as unifloral (14 from Eucalyptus and 2 from Citrus), but other unifloral productions are certainly possible. A preliminary picture of a typical pollen spectrum of Algerian honey is given. A better knowledge about Algerian honey and bee flora would be important to improve beekeeping practices and the production of valuable unifloral honeys. Moreover it would provide the scientific support for the control of the marketed honey and for consumers’ protection.