A systematic review of the risk factors of honey consumption and their limit despite the beneficial nutritional properties and healing

Honey is a natural product containing water and different complex compounds such as proteins, sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Environmental contaminations and fraud that occur during honey production, endangers consumer health. The aim of this study, investigate and identify the factors that are deliberately or unintentionally present in honey in order to control these factors, the quality of honey and consumer health to be maintained. In the current review study the information achieved by referring to the databases Pubmed, Science Direct, Elsevier, Google Scholar, SID, MagIran, Civilica, World Health Organization, United Nations Food and Drug Administration collected based on keywords honey, physicochemical properties, hygienic quality, public health, heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues during the last 10 years. Factors affecting the hygienic and safety of honey include carbohydrates (fructose-glucose ratio), proline, gluconic acid, citric acid, moisture, ash (especially potassium), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, diastase activity (alpha and beta amylase), color, electrolytic conductivity, pH, acidity, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Physicochemical properties, although affecting the quality of honey but not a threat to consumer health, but heavy metals and residual medicines, in addition to honey quality, also endanger consumer health; thus, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues, in comparison to physicochemical properties, affect the hygienic quality of honey and public health. Thus heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues than physicochemical properties, the honey quality and consumers public health more endanger. As a result, the identification and control of heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues in honey is more important than physicochemical properties.