Comparison of methods for determining moisture content of citrus and eucalyptus Brazilian honeys by refractometry
2001
Cano, C.B. | Felsner, M.L. | Matos, J.R. | Bruns, R.E. | Whatanabe, H.M. | Almeida-Muradian, L.B.
The official method in Brazilian legislation for determining moisture content in honey is the one established by the Association of Official and Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Recently the European Honey Commission (EHC) proposed a modification of this method suggesting a pre-treatment for crystallized honey samples. The objectives of the present work were: to study by factorial design the influence of pre-treatment and physical state of sample on moisture content determined by refractometry; to choose the better procedure and determine the average value of moisture content of 50 citrus and eucalyptus honey samples. Samples were collected in Sao Paulo State, Brazil during 1996-1998. An Abbe Refractometer thermostatted at 20 degrees C was used and the pre-treatment was done in a water bath at 50 degrees C until crystal dissolution. The effects of the variables of factorial design (pre-treatment and physical state) were significant at 95% level. Results of this design showed that the use of the pre-treatment, suggested by EHC, is superior for analysis of liquid and crystallized honey samples. The moisture values obtained for eucalyptus were higher than those for citrus honey samples independent of the analysis method used.
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