Investigation of Some Quality Criteria in Chestnut Honey of Düzce Province

Abstract

Honey is a natural food source that has been consumed by humans for thousands of years and has an important place in various cultures. Chestnut honey is an important type of honey produced in Düzce province. Determining the quality and purity of honey ensures that consumers have access to safe, high-quality honey. The control criteria for the suitability of honey for human health consumption are defined in the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Honey (2020/7). Düzce University Scientific and Technological Research Application and Research Center (DÜBİT) responds to requests for honey analysis for non-commercial, internal quality control purposes. In this study, the results of honey samples produced in the province of Düzce and analyzed in the laboratories of DÜBİT were examined according to the criteria of the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Honey and an evaluation of the results was carried out. According to the test results, 38%, 20% and 16% of the samples were found to be unsuitable for the quality criteria, especially for the sugar profile, conductivity and proline parameters, respectively. Additionally, pollen analysis of 13% of the honey samples revealed pollen densities that did not match the declared plant family. From a public health point of view, it is important to consume high-quality, reliable and natural honey products. Therefore, quality control of bee products should be carried out from the producer to the consumer.