Identification of sensory attributes related to adulterated honey

Abstract

Mexico is the ninth largest producer of honey worldwide and the thirteenth exporter with a value of 67.9 million dollars. Around 45,000 beekeepers depend on this economic activity, which care for 19 million hives. According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2021, beekeeping represented a high social and economic value. The adulteration of honey is a problem that occurs worldwide and its adulteration can be done by mixing low-cost sugars, sugar syrup with the purpose of increasing its volume and obtaining higher profits. Adulterated honey affects human health by increasing blood sugar level causing diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Currently there is specialized equipment for the detection of adulteration (e.g., high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrophotometry, among others). However, they are of high cost and maintenance of operation. It is here where sensory techniques can be an important aid for the analysis of adulterated honey and thus know those sensory attributes responsible for its adulteration. Obtaining a sensory vocabulary of adulterated honeys would allow more information on the effects of the degree of adulteration on honey.