Analysis of the honey color range from homogenized honeys of different colorations obtained from Apis mellifera

Beekeeping is an activity of low environmental impact, meeting the requirements for economic, social and sustainable development. Among the products produced by bees, honey is the greatest consumption. The color of honey is correlated with their floral origin, processing and storage, climatic factors during the flow of nectar, the temperature at which the honey ripens in the hive. Among the criteria adopted by consumers of honey, the main thing is the color of the product. The Brazilian honeys have a huge color variation, which may influence consumer preference. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of homogenization of different honeys in the final coloring benefited honey and processed in the industry. The research was conducted in the laboratory of physicochemical analyzes of Breyer & CIA LTDA company, located on highway PR 447, Km 0.6 municipality of União da Vitória, PR, Brazil. The company provided 20 samples of honey. The reading of the color band was performed with the aid of a colorimeter Hanna HI 96785. The honeys with different color bands were homogenized between them in proportions of 25%, 50% and 75%. From the 20 primary samples, 60 samples of honey homogenized were reproduced. The reading of the 60 samples was held and only 13 homogenized samples showed to be compatible or close to the expected results. The other 48 samples showed different results compared to expected results. The dark color of honey is a reflection of the ash content and, more specifically, concentrations of Calcium and Iron. The negative correlation between the color and the Sodium concentration indicates that the clear honeys can also present high levels of ash, composed mainly of Potassium and Sodium. This shows that the color of the honeys is related to the elements contained in their matrix, and not related only to the total quantity of mineral deposits. It is not possible to calculate or standardize an exact color range when honeys are homogenized of different color tracks. Secondary factors can interfere in the honey coloring.