Quality honey: criteria to note

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Extract from the article: Honey is a unique food product with health benefits for consumers. But the big challenge is to find, buy and consume good quality honey. Because of its chemical composition, honey cannot be synthesized industrially. However, there is adulterated or p

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Honey is a unique food product with health benefits for consumers. But the big challenge is to find, buy and consume good quality honey. Because of its chemical composition, honey cannot be synthesized industrially. However, there is adulterated or poor-quality honey on the market. The question then arises: "How can I recognize or identify a quality honey? Here are a few criteria for recognizing a quality honey that is suitable for consumption.

Honey quality requirements correspond to those of the European Union and are defined by law. According to the Codex Alimentarius, the food standards body of the FAO and WHO, honey is a natural sweet substance produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from plant nectars or secretions of living plant parts and insect excretions. These bees suck the sap from living plant parts, collecting them and modifying them by adding their own specific substances. 

Chemical composition of honey

The chemical composition of honey depends largely on its floral or botanical origin. The most common ingredients in honey are carbohydrates (73 to 83%), with total reducing sugars (fructose + glucose) predominating. Substances such as organic acids, enzymes and solid particles penetrate honey during its formation.

Recognizing quality honey

According to Dr. Koudegnan Comlan, Research Lecturer at the Laboratoire de Recherche Forestière (LRF) at the University of Lomé, a quality honey is « a honey that is harvested at maturity in sealed cells or combs: it is dry, concentrated and rich in enzymes. It is neither adulterated nor fermented ». The quality of honey is determined by a number of physico-chemical criteria or parameters. « A quality natural honey must be extracted according to certain rules. You need to be sure that your honey has not been heated or pasteurized. If these precautions are not taken into account, honey loses its virtues. It must be freshly harvested, well filtered, decanted and with a moisture content generally below 18%, with a margin of up to 21% according to some authors ».

To assess the quality of a honey, several scientific tests or analyses can be carried out, emphasizes the teacher-researcher. « The quality parameters studied in laboratories are of various kinds.In the forestry research laboratory, we often study water content, sugar content and concentration, Brix degree, pH, electrical conductivity, density, pollen count and pollen taxa.In addition to these tests, there are other tests, known as physical, traditional and ecological tests, which can be carried out directly in the field ». The origin and quality of honey can be verified and assessed on three aspects: phytosanitary (in the laboratory), ecological and physical, which are closely linked and dependent on the chemical composition of the honey. During the best honey competition organized in the central region by VSF-Switzerland's MiKaGo project, these three aspects of quality were taken into account, proving that the honey samples from all the cooperatives taking part in the competition were of good quality.

Analysis of these three factors involved firstly assessing biochemical parameters in the laboratory (LRF/UL), including water content, sugar content, Brix level and density. Next, physical tests were carried out on the dissolution of honey in water, the mixing of honey with fine sand and the ignition of a stick impregnated with honey. The third criterion, ecological, looked at factors such as the location of apiaries, distance from nearby villages and agricultural plots, and the types of crops present. Other elements, such as the use of harvesting equipment and the actions taken by cooperatives to protect bees and the environment, were also taken into consideration.

All the results obtained reassure us that the honey produced in the Central Region by the cooperatives is a honey with no added sugar, a natural honey that is harvested wall-to-wall after capping, using a modern harvesting method. It is therefore a honey of acceptable quality for consumption.

Tips for consumers on choosing quality honey

Dr Koudegnan Comlan affirms that it is advisable to give preference to honey with a precise origin (beekeeper's address on the packaging) and sold in reliable outlets such as specialist stores. At best, buy directly from beekeepers in the central region whose honeys have been tested and found to be of good quality.

William O.      

To purchase from these beekeepers, please contact:

+228 90 34 44 67/ 91 75 15 54/ 92 69 30 08