Determinants of Honey and Other Bee Products Use for Culinary, Cosmetic, and Medical Purposes

Abstract

Bee products have been used for centuries for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic purposes, and their properties are still a subject of research, which provide new arguments in favour of their use. The research aimed to determine the current state of use of bee products by Polish consumers and determine the ways and conditions of their use, with particular reference to the level of nutritional knowledge and health status. The survey was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method on 487 respondents. It was found that honey is used mainly for culinary purposes and, to a lesser extent, for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Other bee products are much less commonly used than honey—mainly beeswax and royal jelly for cosmetic purposes and propolis and bee pollen for medicinal purposes. Segments distinguished by the frequency of use of honey for particular purposes were differentiated by gender, age, income level, use of other bee products, and motivation to use them. Their differences were also found in terms of the level of nutritional knowledge and self-assessed health status—the highest ratings in both categories were indicated by representatives of the Honey users’ segment, which consisted of people who use honey most frequently for cooking, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Regression analysis additionally showed that higher levels of nutritional knowledge and better health status were associated with the use of honey to treat gastrointestinal ailments and with the use of propolis for medicinal purposes.

Exploring Consumers’ Preferences and Attitudes to Honey: Generation Approach in Slovakia

“…However, Kleisiari et al [43] state that the key reason for honey consumption for European consumers is the health impact related to the therapeutic properties and high nutritional value of honey. In this context, it is possible to point to the fact that the level of nutritional knowledge has an impact on consumer behaviour related to honey consumption, and consumers with a better health status consider nutritional and health benefits as a significant motive for honey consumption [62,67]. The results of previous studies confirm our assumptions that honey is presented as a healthy food, and this is the key motive for consumption.…”

“…Many conducted studies pointed to consumer preference for the type of honey, and based on the results, it can be concluded that polyfloral and multifloral honey [60][61][62], acacia honey [61][62][63][64], lime honey [60,62] and other rare types, such as honeydew and mountain flowers [65,66], are the most preferred among consumers. Moreover, Żak [67] examined honey colour preference and found that young consumers prefer bright honey, and older ones would rather consume honey with a dark colour. Based on the above, it is possible to state identical elements in the preferences for the consumption of honey in terms of colour and type between Slovak consumers and consumers from other countries.…”

“…This can be justified by the fact that the older generation of consumers has a stronger habit of consuming honey, which has been presented as healthy for many years. Studies aimed at examining the differences in the purpose of honey usage between age generations of consumers are absent; however, Kowalczuk et al [67] identified that most consumers consume honey for culinary, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. In connection with the above, Kowalczuk et al [67] divided consumers into three groups based on their use of honey.…”

“…Studies aimed at examining the differences in the purpose of honey usage between age generations of consumers are absent; however, Kowalczuk et al [67] identified that most consumers consume honey for culinary, cosmetic and medicinal purposes. In connection with the above, Kowalczuk et al [67] divided consumers into three groups based on their use of honey. The first segment of consumers named "Honey eaters" uses honey mainly for culinary purposes.…”

Potential application of bee products in food industry: An exploratory review

“…As a natural sweetener, it needs to be researched at present. However, Engin Gündoğdu et al [ 71 ] mention that in food production, the use of honey as a natural sweetener could meet the needs of customers who focus on natural foods and new product formulations capable of satisfying low glycemic index dietary regimens [ 90 , 91 ], thanks to its nutritional properties and aromatic profile and chemical composition [ [130] , [131] , [132] ]. Furthermore, in their study, Mutlu et al [ 54 ] investigated the possibility of producing healthy jelly candies for children by using honey as a sugar substitute and incorporating fruit juices.…”