I

ANNO 5 Numero 1
Roberto Javier Crespo [1], Mauricio David Díaz [1], Gianluca Bedini [2], Virginia Garcia [1], Ariel Guardia López [1]

Physical-chemical and botanical characterization of honeys of the Olavarria County (Buenos Aires – Argentina)


[1] Programa Cambio Rural Bonaerense. Ministerio de Asuntos Agrarios de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. B1900. La Plata, Buenos Aires.

[2] Dipartimento di Coltivazione e Difesa delle Specie Legnose, Facoltà di Agraria, Università di Pisa

Corresponding author: rojacre@yahoo.com.ar

The classification of honey by botanical origin and its characterization by physiochemical qualities constitute a requirement of market at advance progressive. The objective of this work was to characterize honey samples from beekeepers of Olavarría County (Buenos Aires, Argentina), by botanical origin and physical – chemically.

Twenty-seven honey samples were taken extracted and identified. They were categorized by botanical origin and classified as monofloral or multifloral. Analyses of HMF, free acids, moisture and Pfund color were carried out on each honey sample using conventional techniques. Eleven honey samples were classified as Eucalyptus sp monofloral honey and 10 samples honey were classified as clover monofloral honey, primarily Lotus sp. The other 6 samples were classified as multifloral honeys. The Eucalyptus sp and Lotus sp pollens in all the honey samples were dominant and secondary, respectively. The very frequent pollens (> 50% of the samples) were those belonging to the Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Borraginaceae families, while the “frequent pollens” (20 to 50% of the samples) corresponded to the Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Brassicaceae families. Pollens from the Lamiaceae and Rutaceae families were found less frequently (3 to 20% of the samples), and pollens from the Poaceae, Acanthaceae, Lythraceae, Pinaceae, Urticaceae and Rosaceae families were found rarely (< 3% of the samples). The average HMF content was 8.1 mg/kg of honey with a maximum of 19.6 mg/kg of honey. The average free acids were 12.2 meq/kg of honey, with a range of 9 to 20 meq/kg of honey.

The average moisture was 15.9% and was always lowery than 17.4%. Color varied between extra white (14.9 mm) and light amber (69.3 mm), with an average of 33.2 (white). Analyzed honey samples were into of the maximum limits fixes for international standard. The results show the excellent quality of the honey analyzed.