Veterinary and sanitary requirements for the quality and safety of honey. Coursework: Commodity characteristics of honey Natural honey quality requirements

graduate work

1.4 Requirements for the quality of honey

From January 1, 2001, the new state standard 19792-2001 (Appendix A) began to operate. This GOST provides for assessing the quality of honey according to 6 criteria. The quality of honey, like any other food product, is determined by the content of essential nutrients (microelements, amino acids, vitamins), their easy digestibility, the presence and concentration of undesirable toxic substances of natural or artificial origin, as well as contaminants. The first criterion for the quality of natural honey is its maturity, determined by the end of sealing honeycomb cells by bees, water content in honey (no more than 21%), sucrose content (should not exceed 6%), diastase number, which should be for state and cooperative honey not less than 7 units. Gotha. The indicator of diastase number - the presence of the enzyme diastase - amylase for honey sold in the markets, is established by the veterinary service separately for the republics, territories, regions and districts. It can range from 5 to 50 units.

The second quality criterion is the calorie content of honey, determined by the presence of carbohydrates in it: glucose, fructose, sucrose and dextrins.

The third and fourth quality criteria are the absence of significant changes in the initial composition and properties of natural honey, and primarily in organoleptic properties, that is, in color, taste and smell, which can deteriorate if the technological process of harvesting, processing and storing honey is disturbed. According to GOST 19792-2001, the color of natural honey is allowed from colorless to brown with a predominance of light tones, with the exception of buckwheat, chestnut and heather. The taste of natural honey should be sweet, delicate, pleasant, without foreign taste (chestnut honey with a bitter taste).

1.5 Storage, packaging, labeling, transportation of honey

Storage of honey at high temperature and humidity causes significant changes in its composition. The optimum humidity in the room should be about 60% and in no case higher than 80%. It is recommended to store honey in glass, plastic and enameled containers, hermetically sealed. Do not store honey together with products that have a strong odor, which is easily transferred to honey.
Honey in combs is stored under the same conditions, and honeycombs are wrapped in cellophane film. Honey is stored in rooms protected from direct solar radiation. It is not allowed to store honey together with poisonous, dusty products and products that can give honey an unusual smell. Barrels and flasks with honey are stored in two or three tiers, with filling holes (neck) up. On the floor and between the tiers, solid pads of boards are placed. The boxes are stored in stacks up to 2 m high, placing them on plank pads. Shelf life of packaged honey:

In containers, flasks from 25 kg or more - up to 8 months. from the moment of examination;

In hermetically sealed glass containers, containers made of polymeric materials - no more than one year from the date of production, in non-hermetically sealed containers - no more than 8 months;

In waxed paper glasses - no more than 6 months. from the date of production;

In glass containers, special containers for honey and stainless steel flasks placed for storage in the state reserve - two years at a temperature not exceeding 18 ° C.

The storage temperature of honey with a mass fraction of water up to 19.0% is not higher than 20 °C; with a mass fraction of water from 19.0% to 21.0% - from 4 ° C to 10 ° C.

Honey containing more than 21% water, it is desirable to store at a temperature of 4 to 10 ° C. If the content is less than 21% water, it is recommended to store it at a temperature not exceeding 20 ° C. When honey is stored in a hermetically sealed container, the relative humidity of the air does not play any role. If the material of the container or the closure is permeable to water vapor, then a certain air humidity should be maintained in the warehouse. Otherwise, honey will give water, or absorb it. In the first case, a shortage of honey is possible, in the second, its excess is formed, but there is a danger of its fermentation. Therefore, during storage, it is important to control the water content in honey.

Honey is packaged in consumer and transport containers with a capacity of 0.03 to 200 dm3:

wooden barrels and barrels made of beech, birch, willow, cedar, linden, plane trees, aspen, alder with a wood moisture content of not more than 16% and a capacity of up to 200 dm3 in accordance with GOST 8777. The inner surface of barrels and barrels must be waxed or have nested bags - inserts from polystyrene;

flasks made of stainless steel, pickled and sheet steel, aluminum and aluminum alloys with a capacity of 25 and 38 dm3 according to GOST 5037;

thick wooden boxes, lined with parchment waxed paper on the inside;

special containers for honey;

lithographed metal cans, coated from the inside with food varnish, with a capacity of not more than 500 dm3;

glasses or tubes made of aluminum foil coated with food varnish, with a capacity of 30-450 cm3;

glass jars according to GOST 5717 and other types of glass containers.

Depending on the sales market, the type of packaging may be different (collectible, souvenir, small portion, convenient for use in transport, at school and at work). Glass or plastic are suitable for packing honey, metal containers (containers) are suitable for large volumes. Containers must be hermetically sealed. For glass jars, screw caps should be used; for plastic jars, aluminum and heat-shrinkable plastic caps should be used. Although plastic packaging is less attractive than glass packaging, it is much more convenient and cheaper to transport and store. Screw caps on plastic jars often lose their tightness, which leads to damage to the presentation and honey. This problem can be solved by using thermo shrinkable films. In a number of countries, soft plastic bags are used, from which honey is poured into the buyer's dishes. Refillable glass bottles must be sterilized and have screw caps.
If wax is left in the honey during processing, then a film forms on the surface of the honey, which protects the honey from excess moisture and can even prevent fermentation. However, this property does not attract buyers. For tightness, corks must be treated with hot beeswax. When packaging, one should take into account its multi-use or disposability, environmental safety of the material. Packaging should not only be attractive, but also take into account the required characteristics of honey (crystallization, fermentation, color), volume, shelf life before processing, sale and consumption, availability, price and manufacturability of packaging materials.

Honey packaged in consumer packaging is labeled in accordance with the requirements of GOST 51074-2003 “Food products. Consumer Information". The following information is indicated on the label:

product name (may be supplemented by place of origin);

authenticity (natural or artificial);

type of natural honey (botanical origin) (at the discretion of the manufacturer);

year of collection of natural honey or date of manufacture of artificial honey;

name and location of the manufacturer (legal address, including the country, and, if it does not match the legal address, the address(es) of production(s) and organization in the Russian Federation authorized by the manufacturer to accept claims from consumers on its territory (if any));

manufacturer's trademark (if any);

net weight;

composition of the product for natural honey with additives (flower pollen, royal jelly, propolis, nuts, etc.) and for artificial honey;

food additives, flavors, biologically active food supplements, non-traditional food products;

nutritional and energy value (J (kcal), carbohydrates per 100 g of product);

term and conditions of storage;

packing date;

designation of the current standard;

conformity information.

Transport marking is carried out in accordance with GOST 14192, indicating the following data:

the name of the sending company and its address;

2) batch serial number;

3) product name;

4) botanical origin of honey (at the discretion of the manufacturer);

collection year;

5) date of packing (packing);

6) gross and net weight;

7) designation of the current standard.

When marking boxes, the number of units of production is additionally indicated. Each box contains a packing list with the number of the packer.

Warning inscriptions are applied on the top cover of a box with glass or ceramic containers: “Fragile. Carefully"

Honey is transported in compliance with established sanitary rules. When transporting barrels, they should be placed in no more than two or three tiers. Each tier is separated by a laying of boards, boxes and flasks are stacked. The height of the stack for flasks should be no more than 1.5 m, wooden boxes - no more than 3 m, cardboard boxes - no more than 2 m. During transportation, boxes, flasks and barrels must be tightly fixed or tied. Honey is transported by all means of transport in accordance with the rules for the carriage of goods in force for this type of transport. When transported by road, the container with honey must be covered with a tarpaulin. Storage of honey is of great importance for the preservation of its organoleptic properties and high quality. The composition and properties of honey allow it to be stored for a long time under normal conditions.

The purpose of the transportation rules is to prevent any adverse changes in honey due to heating, water access, foreign contamination, deterioration of the bouquet. Therefore, honey is transported in compliance with established sanitary standards in clean, dry, odorless and not polluted by barn pests vehicles. The container with honey is covered with a tarpaulin.

Simulation of a meat shop

Meat semi-finished products must be manufactured according to technological instructions approved in the prescribed manner, in compliance with hygienic and veterinary and sanitary rules. Meat semi-finished products must meet the requirements of Table. 2...

Simulation of a meat shop

Beef Large-sized meat pulp taken from a certain part of a half-carcass (carcass, quarter) in the form of large pieces, stripped of tendons, rough surface films. The surface is flat, windless, the edges are leveled ...

Meat and dough dishes

Meat and dough dishes

Organization of the cooking process and preparation of complex meat dishes of old Russian cuisine

meat thermal serving dish Meat is a perishable product. However, mankind has managed to learn how to process meat so that it stays fresh for a very long time...

Preparing jelly and puddings

For the production of kissels, fresh and dried fruits and berries, canned fruits and berries, milk, and less often rhubarb are used. Berry jelly is prepared, as a rule, on potato starch, which forms a transparent, almost colorless paste ...

salad preparation

Salad "Capital" Lettuce is laid on lettuce leaves in a salad bowl, evenly mixed. The form of cutting products - thin slices. The color of the lettuce is non-uniform, corresponding to the products used. The smell - fried chicken, pickles, eggs...

salad preparation

Cake "Tube" with cream The product has the shape of a tube. The surface is convex, glazed with fondant. The inside is filled with chocolate cream. The color of the product is light brown, the color of the cream is white. Taste - sweetish with aroma of cream...

Soft cheeses

Hard rennet cheeses must have an even rind, without damage, without foreign smells and tastes; must have a paraffin coating without cracks and crumbling areas, the consistency, color and pattern of the dough ...

Commodity expertise of the quality and range of grape wines

The main factors that shape the quality of wine are the raw materials and the yeast used for fermentation...

Wedding cake with flowers

The shape of the cakes must be correct, corresponding to their appearance, without a break, with swarms. The finish is intact, undamaged, with a clear, distinct pattern. The fondant icing is non-sticky and non-candied, no stains...

Roasted Piglet Appearance of a piglet: served without a head, cut in half and served with a side dish. Taste - fried meat, moderately salty with a taste of meat juice. Consistency - tender, soft. Pork shish kebab Appearance: shish kebab...

Quality requirements for sand cakes and pork dishes

Cakes must comply with the requirements of OST 18-102-72, have a clear pattern with a pattern of a finished character and a beautiful combination of colors on the surface, sprinkle the sides evenly while maintaining clear edges of the cake...

Quality requirements for sand cakes and pork dishes

Cake "Apricot" The cake is rounded, the sides are smeared with cream, decorated with raw glaze. Taste and smell characteristic of shortcrust pastry and cream, consists of two layers, glued together with butter cream...

Honey is a natural product of sweet taste and complex "honey" aroma. Sugars are the main component of honey. The total content of monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) in honey is 68-73, sucrose - 2-5%. The sugars of honey are easily digestible. The high degree of sweetness of honey is associated with the presence of fructose - 27-44%. The use of honey is recommended for the prevention and treatment of diseases of the liver, heart, stomach, and respiratory tract. Honey refers to products that can withstand long-term storage.

Classification of honey. According to botanical origin, natural honey is divided into flower, honeydew and mixed (a natural mixture of flower and honeydew honey). Bees produce flower honey from flower nectars - sweet juice, specific in aroma and taste for each plant species, containing up to 40% sugars. Flower honey can be monofloral (linden, acacia, buckwheat, cotton, etc.) and polyfloral (mountain, steppe, Bashkir, etc.), i.e. honey collected from the flowers of various plants and labeled as a mixed flower.

Honeydew honey is obtained as a result of the processing of honeydew and honeydew collected from the leaves and stems of plants by bees.

It is designated by tree species - honeydew from deciduous, coniferous species. It has lower consumer properties, but higher therapeutic and prophylactic properties. In honeydew honey, compared to flower honey, there is less glucose and fructose, more sucrose, nitrogen-containing, minerals, especially potassium and phosphorus.

Mixed honey can be combined or honeydew, depending on the predominant source from which it is obtained.

Types and names of honey are distinguished by characteristic features: color, taste, aroma. The most common linden honey is light yellow, transparent, with a delicate aroma of linden blossom; white acacia - watery-transparent, delicate taste and aroma; buckwheat - dark brown with a reddish tint, opaque, with a strong aroma, very sweet; honeydew honey in most cases of dark tones, may have an unpleasant aroma, its taste is worse than that of flower honey. Bees can produce honey from sugar syrup, but such honey cannot be classified as natural.

According to the method of extraction and processing, honey is divided into honeycomb, sectional and centrifugal. Centrifugal honey can be liquid or crystallized.

Honey production technology also includes the following operations: work with colonies in the spring, the formation of strong bee colonies, the preparation of bee nests for wintering and the wintering of bee colonies.

Cell printout. Before pumping, honeycombs are unsealed - removing the wax caps of the cells (zabrus) by cutting, piercing or knocking them down. To open honeycombs, knives are used that are heated in hot water, steam, with the help of electricity or driven in reciprocating motion (vibrating knife) while simultaneously heated by steam. It is promising to use needle vibroknives and chain, partially or fully automatic devices for unpacking honeycombs. The working system of these devices is formed by thin chains on two rollers rotating in different directions. A honeycomb is inserted between the rotating rollers, from which the lids are knocked off in chains.

Extraction of honey. Obtaining high-grade honey begins with an apiary. Honey should be pumped out of store combs; honey pumped from brood combs contains more pollen, making it difficult to filter. Honey is pumped out in a room inaccessible to bees. The pumping area must be very clean, as well as the area with the combs, where they are before processing. If processing takes place outdoors, it should not be done on a windy or rainy day.

All surfaces, hands and containers in contact with honey must be sterile clean. Machining centers should be located near sources of clean water. The sanitary condition of the premises in which honey is pumped out must comply with sanitary and hygienic standards.

Tanks and processing equipment should be made taking into account the possible acidity of the products. Copper, iron and zinc dissolve when exposed to honey and can affect the color, taste and toxicity of products. For the storage and processing of honey products, corrosion-resistant steel, glass, plastic for food packaging should be used. Zinc can be used for short term storage.

Honey is pumped out of the combs by means of a honey extractor. The axle, and with it the cassettes, is driven manually or by an electric motor. Under the influence of centrifugal force, honey flows out of the cells and along the wall of the honey extractor falls to its bottom. Depending on the location of the cassettes, there are two types of honey extractors: chordal and radial. Radial honey extractors have greater productivity - they can immediately pump out honey from 60 combs.

The time required for centrifugation depends on the variety, viscosity, water content of honey and its temperature. To speed up centrifugation, honey must be pumped out immediately after extraction from the hive or the room where the pumping takes place must be heated.

Cleaning and filtering honey. Purification of mechanical impurities, such as wax particles and air bubbles that got into the honey during centrifugation. It is produced in two ways - settling and filtering.

For settling, centrifuged honey is placed in a deep container. During settling, light particles float to the surface, while mineral and metal particles sink to the bottom. Then the top layer is carefully removed, and the honey is poured into another bowl so as not to disturb the particles settled at the bottom. The settling rate depends on the particle size (settling of fine particles takes longer), the size of the container and the viscosity of the honey, i.e. the water content and temperature. At 25-30°C settling is usually quite fast and may take only a few days. Containers must be tightly closed to avoid excessive air entry. Subsequent settling frees honey from air and foam. If the containers are large enough, honey from different bee families is mixed, thus achieving the integrity of the finished product.

Settling is especially necessary if honey with a moisture content above 20% has been centrifuged. The reduction in water content can be accelerated by blowing warm air over the sumps and periodically stirring the honey, as well as pouring the honey into wide and shallow trays.

Excess water can be eliminated prior to centrifugation by placing honey in combs in a room heated with warm air at 38°C. Filtration can be used instead of or together with settling; filters of various modifications are used for it.

High-quality filtration is obtained with simultaneous pasteurization (heating up to 77-78 °C). This allows all small particles, including pollen, to be removed, which slows down crystallization for a longer period. Since some useful substances are destroyed when heated, this honey is forbidden to be sold as premium honey in European countries.

Heating (dissolution) of honey. Heating is used primarily to liquefy crystallized honey before bottling, to reduce its viscosity before filtering and settling, to kill fermenting osmophilic yeasts, to melt germ crystals, to keep the honey liquid, and so on. When heating honey, various temperature regimes are used.

The existing method of dissolving honey in a metal container using traditional heat has a number of significant drawbacks. These include the duration of the honey dissolution process - from 14 hours to 2 days, which negatively affects the preservation of the quality of the processed product, as well as the composition of sugars changes, enzymes are destroyed, the antimicrobial activity of honey decreases, volatile substances (phytoncides and essential oils) are lost. With prolonged exposure to heat on honey, a toxic substance appears in it - hydroxymethylfurfural. The process itself is uneconomical due to large heat losses to the surrounding space and the need for significant areas for the thermal hall, baths and boiler rooms.

To eliminate the above disadvantages, two technologies for dissolving honey have been developed. Dissolution of honey crystallized in combs with simultaneous pumping. The process of liquefaction in the honey combs and its pumping are reduced from 12-24 hours to 15 minutes, the purity of the pumping increases from 92 to 99%, the quality of honey is completely preserved, and breakage of the combs is excluded. Thermal halls and heat chambers are not required, the working conditions of service personnel are improved, since the process takes place at room temperature, and the consumption of thermal energy for heat radiation is reduced.

The dissolution of honey using the energy of the electromagnetic field. Under the influence of an electromagnetic field, the dipoles of water begin to oscillate with the frequency of this field. Due to the friction of the dipoles between themselves, heat arises, which is transferred to the microparticles of honey and liquefies it. The heating process is volumetric, in contrast to the traditional transfer of heat from layer to layer. The heating process is inertialess and controlled, that is, when the field is removed, the heating stops. The heating rate depends on the power supplied to the volume of honey by the energy of the electromagnetic field, and the depth of penetration of energy into the product is determined by the frequency of the electromagnetic field and the moisture content of honey. The higher both of these indicators, the smaller the penetration depth.

Pasteurization of honey is used in cases where it is necessary to destroy osmophilic yeast or melt germinal crystals. The resulting honey remains liquid for a long time and does not turn sour. During pasteurization, honey is heated to 77-78 ° C for 6-7 minutes in tube or plate pasteurizers heated with warm water according to the counterflow principle.

Blending of honey is carried out to obtain a product of the desired quality. The process is a mixing of different varieties of honey. Usually, honey with a weak aroma and taste and honey with a sharp taste and strong aroma are blended.

Honey quality indicators. It should have a thick viscous consistency characteristic of a mature product. The taste is sweet, without foreign taste, the aroma is natural, pleasant, from weak to well pronounced, without foreign odors.

The color of honey is natural, without impurities. Foreign impurities (bees, larvae, wax, etc.), foaming, gas evolution, fermentation, foreign smell and taste are not allowed in honey.

Physical and chemical indicators of honey quality: moisture not more than 21%, mass fraction of reducing sugars and sucrose, diastase number (characterizes the activity of enzymes). Honey should not contain hydroxymethylfurfural. The presence of this substance indicates prolonged heating of honey, during which enzymes die and it loses its medicinal value, or honey is falsified with molasses, invert syrup.

Honey is packaged in barrels made of beech, birch, linden, except for spruce, pine, oak, in stainless steel flasks tinned with food tin. For small packaging of honey, containers of different capacities, configurations, from various materials (glass, tin, molded cardboard with a special gasket, polymer) are used. For packing honey, especially crystallized, it is heated to a temperature of 40-500C to reduce viscosity. The container is filled with honey no more than 95% of its volume and hermetically sealed. Then honey in consumer packaging is labeled and packed in boxes.

Honey can be stored for a long time. But only mature honey is stable; having a moisture content of not more than 21%. Relative humidity in the room for storing honey should be about 70%, the temperature should not exceed 200C. With low air humidity and leakage of the container, honey can dry out, and with high humidity, it can become moistened.

Some types of bacteria can develop in honey, alcohol, acetic fermentation can occur. Soured honey is only suitable for industrial processing. Mature benign honey during storage gives a cage - it crystallizes. This is a natural process that does not impair the quality of honey. The more glucose in honey, the higher its ability to crystallize. Honey crystallizes most rapidly at a temperature of 14-240C, and at a temperature of 27-320C it remains liquid.

Crystals in honey can be coarse-grained - more than 0.5 mm; fine-grained - less than 0.5 mm and greasy - indistinguishable to the naked eye.

For various reasons, a syrupy layer can form on the surface of crystallized honey. Such honey is unsuitable for long-term storage. With long-term storage, honey can reduce or lose its medicinal and taste properties, as enzymes are destroyed, by-products of sugar conversion accumulate, and color changes.

Artificial honey is obtained by inversion of sucrose. When acidified sugar syrup is heated, sucrose decomposes into glucose and fructose, which in composition brings the product closer to natural honey. To give the best taste properties, a little natural honey or honey essence is added to the inverted syrup.

Artificial honey has a viscous consistency, should be transparent, without turbidity and sediment, foreign inclusions. Its color is from light to dark yellow. A darker color is a sign of prolonged heating. The taste of artificial honey is sweet, the aroma is pleasant, honey. Mass fraction of solids 78%, including at least 60% reducing substances. Packed artificial honey in jars with a net weight of up to 1 kg, for industrial processing - in barrels up to 100 kg with a polymer insert; the closure of the container is hermetic. Store at a temperature from 0 to 200C and relative humidity of air no more than 75% in barrels and flasks up to 9 months. from the date of manufacture, packaged in glass jars - up to 2 years.

Beeswax is a solid granular substance synthesized by worker bees. This miraculous product has not yet been created artificially. The secret of obtaining wax is known only to bees.

Bees have eight special wax glands on their abdomens, located under four pairs of wax mirrors (the so-called thinner chitinous sections of the segments of the abdomen of bees) and secrete wax onto their surface. Under the action of air, the wax protruding from the glands solidifies on wax mirrors in the form of tiny translucent plates. This is an excellent material for building cells for honey, pollen and for the development of offspring. They also seal the cells with honey with wax.

Bee wax is obtained by melting honeycombs, wax scraps and caps. It is white, light yellow or gray in color, has a uniform granular structure and a natural waxy smell.

Production wax is obtained at wax factories during the processing of apiary effusions. It differs from apiary in a specific smell and a number of physical indicators.

Wax is a biologically active product with high bactericidal properties that are not lost even after technical processing. It has long been used in medicine. Ancient people knew about the anti-inflammatory, wound healing and softening properties of beeswax. So, with angina, Hippocrates recommended applying a layer of wax to the neck.

bee venom- a product of the activity of poisonous glands, the ducts of which go into a sting. It is produced by bees and queens (drones do not have poisonous glands and stinging apparatus). With one sting, the bee releases 0.2-0.7 mg of poison (apitoxin), it is a white, colorless, thick liquid, with a bitter, burning taste. Its smell is sharp, reminiscent of the smell of honey. The amount of solids is about 41%.

The chemical composition of bee venom is quite diverse and has not yet been fully studied.

Royal jelly "apilak"(also called "royal jelly") is a unique active product produced by bees.

The composition of royal jelly includes many of the elements that the body needs, due to which this substance is both a food product and a medicine that restores living cells, and has both a strengthening and rejuvenating effect on the human body.

bee balm- its second name. What is propolis? It is a fragrant natural substance with a persistent and very pleasant balsamic smell. It smells of honey and wax, poplar and birch buds. Propolis is produced by bees from resinous substances of plant origin, collected by them from the buds, young branches and leaves of trees. Propolis has a complex chemical composition. It contains aromatic substances, resins, flavones, minerals - these are 55% resins, 30% wax substances, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen, rich in vitamins and trace elements.

Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation

Ural State University of Economics

COURSE WORK

Commodity characteristics of honey

Yekaterinburg 2005

Introduction

1. Commodity characteristics and assortment of honey.

2. Nutritional value and chemical composition.

3. Requirements for quality.

4. Storage and possible defects.

5. Means and methods of falsification of honey. Methods for their detection

Conclusion

List of sources used

Introduction

Honey is a product of the processing of nectar or honeydew by honey bees, which is a sweet aromatic liquid or crystallized mass.

Honey and wax were the main products of Russia's internal trade as early as the 15th-17th centuries. and exported to Western Europe, bringing considerable income.

Currently, domestic beekeeping retains its traditions and achievements: the decline in production in agriculture has not affected it much, since it has always been mainly engaged in private producers. If now in the world there is one bee colony per 1000 people, then in Russia it is only 25 people. At the same time, only 5-10% of nectar is used in our country - a small part of the opportunities that nature gives us.

Natural honey is not only a valuable food product, but also has pronounced therapeutic, dietary and preventive properties. However, obtaining natural bee honey is associated with significant material costs. High prices for natural honey make it a very tempting object of falsification.

Thus, the problem of commodity examination and consumer evaluation of honey becomes relevant.

Also important is the problem of contamination of food raw materials and food products (in particular honey) with foreign substances of chemical and biological origin.

This paper presents the main commodity characteristics of honey; requirements for the quality of honey, for the conditions of its storage. The main methods of falsification and methods for their detection are also considered.

1 Commodity characteristics and assortment of honey.

Honey is a nutritionally valuable sugary product that fills many gaps in nutrition and is a high-calorie food.

The main regulatory and technical document for honey is GOST 19792-87 “Natural honey. Specifications".

Fresh bee honey is a thick transparent semi-liquid mass, gradually crystallizing and hardening over time. The ability of honey to crystallize is its natural property, which does not affect its quality.

An important sign of quality is its density. The specific gravity of honey varies between 1.420 – 1.440 kg/l.

Candied honey indoors at a temperature of 35 ºС or in a water bath at a temperature of about 50 ºС.

Honey freezes at a temperature of -36 ºС, while its volume decreases by 10%, and increases when heated. So at a temperature of 25 ºС its volume increases by 5%.

The color of honey depends on the dyes in the nectar and can be different: colorless, light, lemon, golden, dark yellow, brown-green and even black. Honey is characterized by a delicate aroma that enhances its palatability. Bee honey has a wide range of flavor shades depending on the type of nectar source, shelf life, degree of heat treatment. It has a specific honey aroma peculiar only to it, which can be well expressed or veiled by a stronger floral smell. If the floral aroma for each type of honey is different, then honey is characteristic of all honeys, including sugar ones. Different varieties of honey differ in aroma, on the basis of which one can judge the quality of honey and, to some extent, the origin.

The aromatic substances of honey disappear with time. Especially if stored incorrectly. When heated or stored in a room with a high temperature, the aroma weakens or is replaced by an unpleasant odor.

Honey is a product of the processing by bees of the flower nectar (or honeydew) secreted by certain flowers. The bees, attracted by the bright colors and aroma of flowers, take a drop of nectar (40-50 mg) and fill their honey stomach with it. In order for nectar to turn into honey, it must undergo a series of changes. In the goiter of the bee, the moisture content of the nectar decreases and it is enriched with enzymes, amino acids, etc.

Sucrose begins to hydrolyze into invert sugar.

Bees store nectar for some time in the honey ventricle. Where he continues to undergo complex processing, which began in the goiter. A drop of nectar decreases in volume as a result of absorption of water by the cells of the honey ventricle. At the same time, the nectar, losing a significant part of the water, is saturated with enzymes secreted by the salivary glands of the bee. The nectar processed in this way is deposited in wax cells, which are filled to the top: the nectar ripening continues in them and after 2-4 days the sugar content in it reaches 70-80%. After thickening, the nectar is transferred to other cells, where its maturation ends and the nectar turns into honey.

After filling the wax cells with honey, the bees seal them. In this form, honey can be stored for a long time.

The enzymatic changes in the nectar in the combs mainly consist of a further inversion of sucrose. Honey ripens until almost all sucrose is hydrolyzed, and its moisture content drops to 20%. Simultaneously, there are synthetic processes of formation of flavoring, aromatic and other substances.

By botanical origin, honey is divided into flower, honeydew and mixed (a natural mixture of flower and honeydew honey). Flower honey is divided into monofloral and polyfloral.

Monofloral honey includes: acacia, sweet clover, clover, fireweed, lavender, linden, raspberry, sunflower, cottonseed, clover, sainfoin - light varieties; barberry, heather, cornflower blue, buckwheat, mint - dark.

Polyfloral (combined) varieties include: field, steppe, forest, fruit, mountain, etc.

Absolutely monofloral honeys are rare.

Lime honey is characterized by a light yellow or light amber color. It has a pleasant delicate aroma of linden flowers, which include farnesol and other terpenoid compounds. In liquid form, honey is transparent like water, with a greenish tinge.

Linden honey crystallizes at room temperature within one to two months into a fine-grained fat-like or coarse-grained mass.

Buckwheat honey differs in color palette from dark yellow to dark brown with a reddish tint, has a pleasant sharp specific taste and a peculiar aroma. In the crystallized state, honey is dark yellow or brown, fine and coarse-grained.

Sunflower honey of a light golden color, which intensifies when exposed to sunlight. Upon crystallization, it becomes light amber, sometimes with a greenish tinge.

fireweed light-colored honey with a greenish tint, becomes white upon crystallization. It is characterized by a delicate taste and aroma. In liquid form, honey is transparent, like water, crystallizes very quickly into a fat-like or fine-grained mass.

acacia honey is white in color with a greenish tint, has a delicate and delicate aroma. Honey contains robinin, acacin (flavonoid glycosides), volatile oils. Acacia honey may not crystallize for a long time (from one to two or three years) at room temperature. Crystallizes in the form of a fine-grained mass. Acquisition of color from white to golden yellow. It has good taste qualities. During long-term storage, a darker intercrystalline liquid appears on the surface.

Cotton honey is distinguished by color: transparent, like water, or extra white. It has a delicate and peculiar aroma, pleasant taste. It crystallizes into a coarse-grained mass within two or more months. Freshly harvested by bees has a taste characteristic of the juice of the plant itself. And which disappears as the honey ripens. Mature honey has a delicate, but peculiar taste and aroma.

Clover honey is of two types. white clover liquid honey is white. Transparent, with a greenish tinge, has a delicate and delicate aroma. Honey contains flavonoids, volatile oils, phenolic compounds. Resins, coumarin derivatives. During crystallization, it takes the form of a white fat-like mass. It has a mild aroma of clover flowers, good taste. Crystallizes within one to two months.

red clover red-yellow honey, crystallizes relatively slowly. Taste and aroma are the same as white clover honey.

sainfoin white honey. Sometimes with a greenish tint. With a delicate and delicate aroma. Pleasant, moderately sweet taste. It crystallizes into a fine-grained or greasy mass within one to two months.

Heather honey is characterized by dark amber or red-brown color, strong specific aroma, tart taste. This honey is very viscous, it is pumped out of the combs with great difficulty or not pumped out at all. With stirring or shaking, its gelatinous consistency is destroyed, and it becomes liquid, but thickens again during subsequent storage. It slowly crystallizes. Microscopic examination of this type of honey shows needle-shaped crystals, which distinguishes it from other types of honey.

The quality assessment of natural bee honey is carried out in accordance with the requirements of GOST 19792-87, which applies to honey harvested and sold in various commercial enterprises of all forms of ownership. In accordance with GOST 19792-87, natural honey in terms of organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters must meet the following requirements, which are presented in Table 8.

Table 5 - Organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters of natural honey according to GOST 19792-87

In the commodity examination of honey, organoleptic and measuring methods are mainly used. The need for laboratory research of honey arises in cases of its identification (floral, honeydew, monofloral or polyfloral), quality determination, falsifications, or when certain indicators of honey quality cause controversy.

To identify and assess the quality of honey, an organoleptic study is carried out (the appearance and consistency of honey, its color, aroma, taste, the presence of mechanical impurities and signs of fermentation are determined) in combination with laboratory methods (the content of water, reducing sugars and sucrose, Diastase number, total acidity, the amount of hydroxymethylfurfural, put reactions to various falsifications, etc.).

To determine the quality of honey, average samples are taken. The average sample is a part of honey that characterizes the amount of the entire batch of the product. A batch is any amount of honey of the same botanical origin and year of collection, homogeneous in terms of organoleptic and physico-chemical parameters, one technological treatment and simultaneously delivered for sale.

Of the organoleptic indicators in honey, color, taste, aroma, consistency, the presence of impurities, signs of fermentation are checked.

Color honey. One of the most important indicators of the quality of this product, characterizing to a certain extent its botanical origin. It depends mainly on the nature of the coloring substances contained in the nectar. The color of honey is also influenced by its origin, the time of collection and the place of growth of honey plants. Depending on the color, colorless honey (transparent, white) is distinguished - white acacia, fireweed, cotton, raspberry, white clover, white clover; light amber (light yellow) - linden, yellow clover, yellow clover, sage, sainfoin, field, steppe; amber (yellow) - mustard, sunflower, pumpkin, cucumber, coriander, alfalfa, meadow; dark amber (dark yellow) - buckwheat, heather, chestnut, tobacco, forest; dark (with various shades) - some honeydew honeys, citrus, cherry (almost black), couscous (red), etc.

When heated and stored for a long time, honey darkens, in a crystallized state it has a lighter color, since the precipitated glucose crystals are white.

The color of honey is determined organoleptically using a Pfund comparator or on a photoelectrocalorimeter.

The use of physical methods allows you to accurately determine the color of honey in accordance with the color scale (Table 6).

Table 6 - Color classes of honey and their corresponding values ​​of optical densities and Pfund scale

Aroma honey is due to a complex of aromatic substances. Each type of honey has a specific, peculiar only to him, aroma of flowers - sources of nectar. Based on this indicator, one can judge the quality and, to some extent, the botanical origin of honey. The intensity of the aroma depends on the quality and composition of the volatile aromatic compounds.

The evaluation of the aroma is carried out twice: before and during the determination of taste, since the aroma is enhanced when honey is in the oral cavity. In the absence of aroma or its insufficient severity, honey must be heated. A sample of honey (about 40 g), tightly closed in a glass. It is placed in a water bath (40-45 °C) for 10 minutes, then the lid is removed and the aroma is determined, which serves as the most objective indicator in the organoleptic evaluation of honey. It can be weak, strong, gentle. subtle, with a pleasant and unpleasant odor. Some types of honey (clover, buckwheat, heather, linden, willow) are very aromatic. They have the smell of flowers from which they are collected, and such as fireweed, sunflower, rapeseed, have a slight floral aroma.

The aroma can serve as a criterion for the rejection of honey (odors unusual for honey). The floral aroma of honey disappears during fermentation, prolonged and intense heating, long-term storage, with the addition of inverted, beet and cane sugar syrups, molasses, as well as when feeding bees with sugar syrup.

It should be borne in mind that some honeydew honeys have an unattractive and even unpleasant odor. A weak aroma is usually found in old and heated honey.

Taste honey is usually sweet, pleasant. The sweetness of honey depends on the concentration of sugars and their type. The sweetest, sugary taste has white acacia, as well as honey from fruit trees, in which there is a high content of fructose. The best in terms of taste are such types of honey as linden, white acacia, sainfoin, clover, fireweed, sweet clover, raspberry, etc.; lower quality are heather, honeydew, eucalyptus. Some varieties of honey, such as chestnut, tobacco, willow, honeydew, have a peculiar bitterness that can be very strong.

Honey aged at high temperature has a caramel flavor, which is unacceptable. Honey with excessively sour, rancid, moldy and fermented tastes is also unacceptable.

Natural honey irritates the mucous membrane of the mouth and larynx when consumed due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds that pass into honey with nectar. Sugar honey does not give such perception.

The taste of honey is determined after preliminary heating of the honey sample to 30°C in a closed glass box.

The sale of honey with sour, bitter and other unpleasant flavors is prohibited. A slightly bitter taste is allowed in chestnut, willow, tobacco and honeydew honey.

Consistency honey depends on its chemical composition, temperature, shelf life. According to the consistency of liquid honey, its water content and maturity are judged. It can be liquid, viscous, very viscous, dense or mixed. Freshly pumped honey is a viscous syrupy liquid. When flowing, a trickle of such honey resembles a roll of matter, which is folded in layers into a pyramid. On further storage, it crystallizes. The consistency is determined by immersing the spatula in honey (20ºC) and, raising the spatula above the solution, note the nature of the flow of honey. Overheated honey, when draining into a saucer, forms a hole.

Liquid honey - a small amount of honey remains on the spatula. Which flows down small threads and drops. The liquid consistency is specific for the following freshly extracted ripened honeys: acacia, fireweed, clover, as well as for all types of honey with a high moisture content (more than 21%).

Viscous honey - a significant amount of honey remains on the spatula, it flows down with rare threads and elongated drops. This consistency is inherent in most types of ripe flower honey.

Very viscous honey - a significant amount of honey remains on the spatula, it flows down in rare thick threads that do not form separate drops. This consistency is typical for heather, eucalyptus and honeydew honey, and is also observed during the nucleation of glucose crystals during the crystallization of other types of flower honey.

Dense consistency - the spatula is immersed in honey as a result of the application of additional force. The honey has crystallized.

Mixed consistency - in honey, stratification into two parts is observed: at the bottom - precipitated glucose crystals, forming a continuous layer, and above it is the liquid part. It is observed during the crystallization of honey subjected to heat treatment, as well as in the first months of storage of honey, with falsification with sugar syrup.

Sometimes unripe honey is delivered to the market, but with signs of crystallization. In this case, it is divided into two layers: liquid and dense, and the ratio of layers is not the same - there is more liquid than dense. The water content of immature honey is always higher than the permissible value, and it is not allowed for sale.

If there is much less liquid sludge than dense sludge, then this indicates the storage of honey in an airtight container. Such honey after mixing is released for sale.

The presence of pollen impurities in honey determines the degree of its purity. Flower honey always contains pollen impurities. Its content is insignificant, but it enriches honey with vitamins, proteins, ash elements. The presence of pollen from a certain type of plant serves as confirmation of the botanical origin of honey. To establish the botanical type of honey, it is necessary that the percentage of pollen be not lower: for lavender - 10; sage - 20; acacia, heather, buckwheat, clover, linden, alfalfa, rapeseed, citrus - 30; sunflower - 35; chestnut, sainfoin - 45.

Mechanical impurities on natural, desirable (plant pollen), undesirable (corpses or parts of bees, pieces of honeycombs, larvae) and extraneous (dust, ash, pieces of various materials, etc.). In addition, they can be visible and invisible.

In the presence of the corpses of bees and their parts, larvae, the remains of honeycombs, honey is not released for sale, it is purified for further sale. When honey is contaminated with foreign particles (dust, ash, chips, sand, hair, etc.), it is rejected.

When organoleptically assessing honey, attention is paid to the presence of foam and signs of fermentation. Fermentation most often occurs in immature honey, in which the water content reaches 22% and above. This creates favorable conditions for the development of wild races of yeast, always contained in honey. Fermentation is manifested in the appearance of a large number of bubbles of carbon dioxide, sour smell and taste.

Physical and chemical indicators of honey quality give a more accurate description of its composition and properties, but they require special instruments and equipment. These indicators are determined in special laboratories of veterinary and sanitary services for food quality control, in certification laboratories and other organizations.

The procedure for determining the standard physical and chemical indicators of honey quality is described in the current GOST 19792-87.

In everyday practice, simpler and less time-consuming definitions of honey quality indicators are more often used. Moisture, sucrose and reducing sugar content, diastase number, hydroxymethylfurfural content, etc. are determined from physicochemical parameters.

Water content in honey characterizes its maturity and determines suitability for long-term storage. Mature honey has a moisture content of not more than 20%, crystallizes into a homogeneous mass, can be stored for a long time without losing its natural qualities. Unripe honey quickly undergoes fermentation. The humidity of honey depends on the climatic conditions during the honey collection season, on the ratio of sugars (the more fructose, the higher the humidity), storage conditions.

The moisture content of honey allowed by GOST - 21% (for industrial processing and public - 25%) - is slightly higher than that which mature honey should have. This concession to beekeepers is due to the fact that in some regions of Russia, especially in Siberia and the Far East, honey comes with a moisture content of 21-22% or more. An increased water content can also be found in honey adulterated with water or liquid sugar syrup.

The moisture content of honey can be determined by the refractometric method (GOST 19792-87), also by the density of honey or its aqueous solution.

Determination of the quantitative content of reducing (inert) sugars in honey is based on the reduction of reducing sugars with Fehling's solution and their subsequent iodometric titration.

diastase number characterizes the activity of amylolytic enzymes and is an indicator of the degree of heating and duration of storage of honey.

The diastase number expresses the number of milliliters of a 1% solution of water-soluble starch, which is decomposed in one hour by the amylolytic enzymes contained in one gram of anhydrous honey. The determination of the diastase number is carried out by various methods, but in case of inconsistencies, its value is set only according to the standard method (GOST 19792).

The content of hydroxymethylfurfural characterizes the naturalness of honey and the degree of preservation of its natural qualities. When carbohydrate products are heated with acid, along with the splitting of sucrose and starch into simple sugars, glucose and fructose are partially decomposed to form hydroxymethylfurfural. The same reaction occurs when honey is heated at a temperature above 55ºC for 12 hours or when it is stored at room conditions (20 - 25ºC) in an aluminum container. The standard provides for a qualitative reaction to hydroxymethylfurfural. It must be negative and its quantitative content is normalized, not more than 25 mg/kg of honey.

General acidity honey is determined by vetsanekspertiza. An increased content of acids indicates the acidification of honey and the accumulation of acetic acid or an artificial inversion of sucrose in the presence of acids (artificial honey). Reduced acidity may be the result of falsification of honey with sugar syrup, starch, or processing of sugar syrup (sugar honey) by bees, etc.

1.2.1 Classification of honey

Honey is distinguished: by origin, by presentation, by consistency (thickness), by color and transparency, by taste and smell.

Types of honey by origin

By origin, natural honey can be floral and honeydew.

Flower honey is produced by bees in the process of collecting and processing nectar secreted by nectaries of plants, both flowering and non-flowering.

Bees produce honeydew honey by collecting honeydew and honeydew (sweet secretions of aphids) from the leaves or stems of plants. Honeydew honey is no less valuable than flower honey due to the high content of dextrins and minerals, but unfortunately it is not suitable as winter food for bees.

Depending on the honey plant whose nectar was collected by bees, honey differs in color, taste and smell. If honey is obtained from one specific type of plant, then usually it is given the name of this plant: linden, fireweed, buckwheat, sunflower, etc. If bees have collected nectar from different plants, then such honey is usually called mixed, or simply flower. It is necessary to be aware that it is almost impossible to get honey from one honey plant - next to the apiary, several honey plants usually bloom at the same time, and when pumping out, along with the freshest honey, old stocks of the bee colony, previously collected from other plants, may fall.

By commercial appearance, honey is divided into centrifugal and honeycomb.

Centrifugal honey is obtained by pumping it out of honeycomb cells using a honey extractor. Most often, the word "honey" means centrifugal honey.

Comb honey - honey not extracted from wax combs, sold in frames or small rectangular cutouts. Inside honeycombs, honey can be either liquid or dried. Trade in comb honey in our country has a smaller turnover, this is due to: the higher price of such honey per kilogram; inconvenience of transportation; loss of a valuable product - wax; the difficulty of obtaining marketable comb honey.

High-quality comb honey should have a solid seal (all cells are sealed with wax caps completely). White or light yellow color should be not only a signet of honey, but also the honeycomb itself.

Types of honey by consistency

The consistency of centrifugal honey can be liquid or crystallized ("shrunken").

Liquid honey is the normal state of fresh honey after being pumped out of the combs (usually honey from the current beekeeping season). Liquid honey has different degrees of density (viscosity). The viscosity of honey depends on the greater or lesser content of water in it and partly on the temperature of the surrounding air. Liquid honey can also be obtained by heating crystallized honey, while some of the beneficial properties of honey may be lost. Too liquid honey may indicate insufficient aging in honeycombs, it is called "immature".

Crystallized ("shrunken") honey - is formed naturally from liquid honey during temperature changes. Settled honey does not lose its properties as a result of crystallization. In shrunken honey, depending on the size of the crystals, coarse-grained, fine-grained and fat-like cages are distinguished. In coarse-grained honey, aggregates of sugar crystals are more than 0.5 mm in diameter, in fine-grained honey - less than 0.5 mm, but are still visible to the naked eye. Sometimes candied honey has such small crystals that the mass of honey seems to be homogeneous, greasy.

Types of honey by color, transparency, taste and smell

By color, honey is divided into light and dark with numerous transitional shades from white to reddish brown. The color of honey depends on the plants from whose nectar honey is obtained: relatively light honey is obtained from the inflorescences of linden, sunflower, acacia, etc., relatively dark - from buckwheat, milkweed, etc.

The transparency of liquid honey depends primarily on the amount of pollen that got into the honey during pumping. Honey can also become cloudy as a result of the process of its crystallization that has begun.

Natural honey tends to have a sweet taste. A sharp sour taste is inherent only in spoiled, fermented honey. The aroma (smell) of honey is determined by the characteristics of a particular plant. Honey collected by bees from one particular plant usually has its own characteristic taste and aroma. With some experience, it is possible, for example, to accurately determine buckwheat honey. Linden honey, calendula honey, collected from sunflower flowers, etc., has a peculiar aroma. The aroma of mixed honey is extremely diverse and often does not make it possible to determine its origin.

To obtain a popular color and aroma, different types of honey can be mixed during pre-sale preparation.

1.2.2 Characteristics of the range of honey

Honey is a nutritionally valuable sugary product that fills many gaps in nutrition and is a high-calorie food.

The main regulatory and technical document for honey is GOST 19792-2001 “Natural honey. Specifications".

Fresh bee honey is a thick transparent semi-liquid mass, gradually crystallizing and hardening over time. The ability of honey to crystallize is its natural property, which does not affect its quality.

An important sign of quality is its density. The specific gravity of honey varies between 1.420 – 1.440 kg/l.

Candied honey indoors at 35°C or in a water bath at around 50°C.

Honey freezes at a temperature of -36 ° C, while its volume decreases by 10%, and increases when heated. So at a temperature of 25 ° C, its volume increases by 5%.

The color of honey depends on the dyes in the nectar and can be different: colorless, light, lemon, golden, dark yellow, brown-green and even black. Honey is characterized by a delicate aroma that enhances its palatability. Bee honey has a wide range of flavor shades depending on the type of nectar source, shelf life, degree of heat treatment. It has a specific honey aroma peculiar only to it, which can be well expressed or veiled by a stronger floral smell. If the floral aroma for each type of honey is different, then honey is characteristic of all honeys, including sugar ones. Different varieties of honey differ in aroma, on the basis of which one can judge the quality of honey and, to some extent, the origin.

The aromatic substances of honey disappear with time. Especially if stored incorrectly. When heated or stored in a room with a high temperature, the aroma weakens or is replaced by an unpleasant odor.

Honey is a product of the processing by bees of the flower nectar (or honeydew) secreted by certain flowers. The bees, attracted by the bright colors and aroma of flowers, take a drop of nectar (40-50 mg) and fill their honey stomach with it. In order for nectar to turn into honey, it must undergo a series of changes. In the goiter of the bee, the moisture content of the nectar decreases and it is enriched with enzymes, amino acids, etc.

Sucrose begins to hydrolyze into invert sugar.

Bees store nectar for some time in the honey ventricle. Where he continues to undergo complex processing, which began in the goiter. A drop of nectar decreases in volume as a result of absorption of water by the cells of the honey ventricle. At the same time, the nectar, losing a significant part of the water, is saturated with enzymes secreted by the salivary glands of the bee. The nectar processed in this way is deposited in wax cells, which are filled to the top: the nectar ripening continues in them and after 2-4 days the sugar content in it reaches 70-80%. After thickening, the nectar is transferred to other cells, where its maturation ends and the nectar turns into honey.

After filling the wax cells with honey, the bees seal them. In this form, honey can be stored for a long time.

The enzymatic changes in the nectar in the combs mainly consist of a further inversion of sucrose. Honey ripens until almost all sucrose is hydrolyzed, and its moisture content drops to 20%. Simultaneously, there are synthetic processes of formation of flavoring, aromatic and other substances.

By botanical origin, honey is divided into flower, honeydew and mixed (a natural mixture of flower and honeydew honey). Flower honey is divided into monofloral and polyfloral.

Monofloral honey includes: acacia, sweet clover, clover, fireweed, lavender, linden, raspberry, sunflower, cottonseed, clover, sainfoin - light varieties; barberry, heather, cornflower blue, buckwheat, mint - dark.

Polyfloral (combined) varieties include: field, steppe, forest, fruit, mountain, etc.

Absolutely monofloral honeys are rare.

Linden honey is characterized by a light yellow or light amber color. It has a pleasant delicate aroma of linden flowers, which include farnesol and other terpenoid compounds. In liquid form, honey is transparent like water, with a greenish tinge.

Linden honey crystallizes at room temperature within one to two months into a fine-grained fat-like or coarse-grained mass.

Buckwheat honey has a color palette from dark yellow to dark brown with a reddish tinge, has a pleasant spicy specific taste and a peculiar aroma. In the crystallized state, honey is dark yellow or brown, fine and coarse-grained.

Sunflower honey has a light golden color that intensifies when exposed to sunlight. Upon crystallization, it becomes light amber, sometimes with a greenish tinge.

Acacia honey is white in color with a greenish tint, has a delicate and delicate aroma. Honey contains robinin, acacin (flavonoid glycosides), volatile oils. Acacia honey may not crystallize for a long time (from one to two or three years) at room temperature. Crystallizes in the form of a fine-grained mass. Acquisition of color from white to golden yellow. It has good taste qualities. During long-term storage, a darker intercrystalline liquid appears on the surface.

Clover honey comes in two varieties. White clover honey in liquid form is white. Transparent, with a greenish tinge, has a delicate and delicate aroma. Honey contains flavonoids, volatile oils, phenolic compounds. Resins, coumarin derivatives. During crystallization, it takes the form of a white fat-like mass. It has a mild aroma of clover flowers, good taste. Crystallizes within one to two months.

Raspberry honey in liquid form is white or transparent, like water, in crystallized form it is white with a creamy tint. It crystallizes into fine and coarse-grained mass. Sweet without aftertaste, the aroma is somewhat reminiscent of vanilla. With abundant release of nectar, this feature in the aroma becomes less noticeable.

Other types of monofloral honey are also obtained in small quantities. However, they are not widely used.

Honeydew honey is obtained as a result of the processing by bees of insect honeydew and honeydew collected from the leaves and stems of plants. The color of honeydew honey is changeable, the aroma is weak.

Poisonous honey, which is sometimes collected by bees from poisonous plants (rhododendron, azalea, mountain laurel, and some others), is not suitable for human food.

According to the method of obtaining, the following types of honey are distinguished:

pressed - isolated from honeycombs by pressing with or without moderate heating;

centrifuged - the most common type of honey obtained by centrifugation;

honeycomb - honey not isolated from honeycombs.

One and the same type of honey can be divided by geographical origin (for example, lime Belarusian, lime Far East, lime Ukrainian, lime Caucasian, lime Bashkir, etc.

Depending on the type of origin, there are known types of honey that cannot be considered natural. These include sugar honey, honey from fruit juices, vitamin and artificial. They should be considered as counterfeits of a natural product.

Sugar honey is a product of sugar syrup processing by bees. Sucrose, which is the syrup, undergoes hydrolysis under the action of bee enzymes. The resulting honey, like natural honey, consists mainly of fructose and glucose. As a result of processing, bees introduce enzymes, ash elements, vitamins and bactericidal substances into it. However, it does not contain aromatic substances and other valuable components that pass into honey from flower nectar.

Honey from sweet fruit juices is obtained by bees at a time when there is no nectar bribe, and the bees take juice from ripe raspberries, grapes, cherries, etc. Some beekeepers feed a specially prepared syrup from fruit or vegetable juices with added sugar and get it like this called express honey. The honey obtained in this way differs from the natural one by a high content of mineral salts, acids, substances indigestible in the intestines of bees, etc.

Vitamin and medicinal honey bees produce from sugar syrup with the addition of syrups and juices rich in vitamins (blackcurrant, carrot, etc.). However, an increased content of vitamins in such honeys is not detected, since the bees change their amount to the level of their need. According to the main indicators, this honey is no different from sugar and is a fake.

Artificial honey is obtained from sugar without the participation of a bee. In appearance, it is similar to bee honey, but differs from it in chemical composition, taste and, especially, aroma. To prepare artificial honey, a small amount of citric acid is added to the sugar syrup and heated. Sucrose is hydrolyzed into equal amounts of glucose and fructose. Artificial honey can also be flavored by adding 10-20% natural honey or essence.