Honey is a natural, sweet, syrupy fluid collected by bees from nectar of flowers. The pleasant aroma and taste of this viscous liquid ranging in color from pale yellow to dark amber varies according to geographical and seasonal conditions. Its use as a sweetener is well known in different parts of the world. In early history, honey occupied a very important place on religious occasions. The high content of sugars, small amounts of amino acids, lipids, along with some vitamins and minerals imparts its high nutritional value. Honey has good medicinal and antimicrobial properties and is used in different cuisines. Proper processing is essential for a product of good sensory qualities. ISI/Agmark specifications for honey, its adulteration and detection of adulteration are well recorded. The application potential in bakery, confectionery, snack foods, fruit and vegetable products and beverages is ever increasing. A bird's-eye view of these aspects along with possible lines of future research are discussed.

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In this study, an attempt has been made to maximize the lipid production using response surface methodology (RMS). Levels of nitrogen, carbon, and inoculum were chosen as factors. The results indicated that inoculum level was very important in lipid production, followed by carbon and nitrogen levels. At higher levels of inoculum, the strain was found to be more tolerant to higher concentrations of sugar, and significantly increased lipid production was noticed. Through the fitted models of second order, as per RSM, carbon at 10.24%, nitrogen at 0.37 g/L, and inoculum at the 20% level resulted in maximum biosynthesis of lipids.

The market demand for novel foods and beverages is increasing. The blending of flavour notes to create an exotic one, to satisfy the tastes and fantasies of the modern generation, may soon become a major task for researchers. In order to achieve this, it is essential to study the single flavourant thoroughly, and the dominant and subtle notes in them, prior to blending. In the present study, profiling of four essential oils, viz. lemongrass, rosemary, geranium and davana, were carried out by two methods, GC-olfactometry (GC-O) and per se odour profile by trained panelists. The attributes of odour analysis and GC-O were compared using spider-web plots. The study showed that although some odour notes perceived by sniffing the oils directly and those perceived by sniffing the effluent of GC at different retention times (RTs) varied, the dominant notes were similar. The odour profiling per se depicts the overall odour perceived, while the GC-O aromagrams represent the picture of odour notes of fractionated volatiles at the respective retention times. The results of the study gives an in-depth description of odour notes in the essential oil and helps the technologist to blend them to achieve the required flavour notes. Thus, the study finds its application in the development of designer beverages containing essential oils or blends of oils with the desired odour characteristics.