Parâmetros físico-químicos de méis comercializados em Paulistana-PI

Abstract

Honey is characterized as an energetic food, an excellent substitute for white sugar, in addition, it has therapeutic functions, bringing several benefits to humans, mainly, making the immune system stronger. Despite the importance of honey and its great commercial expansion, including exports, there are still some factors that compromise its commercialization, such as the lack of use of good manufacturing and food handling practices, in addition to the possibility of adulteration. Based on this, the objective was to - sampling of honeys sold in Paulistana, PI and determining the quality of this product. To this end, 20 samples were acquired in the informal trade of Paulistana, only honey without inspection. The material was taken to the laboratory and analyzed to determine the quality of the product by quantifying humidity, total acidity, insoluble solids, °Brix and lugol. It was observed that all samples were diverse, having varied colors and apparently clear, without major dirt. The average humidity was 21.11%, varying from 18 to 24.50%, with 25% of the samples with humidity below 20%, while the average acidity observed was 41.29 meq/kg, varying from 19 .29 to 77.18 meq/kg, while the average insoluble solids and °Brix degree were 16.71% and 78.89%, respectively, with a greater variation for insoluble solids, which presented an average standard deviation of 4.18 %. Some of the honeys sold in the city of Paulistana had humidity below that recommended by legislation and all samples had insoluble solids above the ideal limits.