Analytical Rheology of Honey: A State-of-the-Art Review

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Rheology
• Nutraceuticals

Background:

• Honey's historical use as a nutraceutical highlights its nutritional and medicinal value.
• Honey rheology significantly impacts sensory attributes, processing, and quality control.
• Understanding rheological behavior is crucial for characterizing diverse honey types.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize the rheological behavior of honeys from various botanical and geographical origins.
• To analyze the relationship between rheological parameters, honey composition, and experimental conditions.
• To explore the application of rheological data in identifying honey adulteration and classification.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on honey rheology.
• Analysis of mathematical models describing honey flow behavior.
• Comparison of rheological data across different honey types, compositions, and conditions.
• Exploration of chemometric techniques (PLS, PCA, ANN) for property correlation.

Main Results:

• Most honeys exhibit Newtonian fluid behavior, but shear-thinning, thixotropic, and anti-thixotropic properties are observed in some varieties.
• Honey rheology is influenced by moisture content, temperature, sugar concentration, and colloidal matter.
• Rheological parameters effectively differentiate honey types and detect adulteration.
• Chemometric methods reveal complex interrelations between physicochemical and rheological properties.

Conclusions:

• Honey rheology is a key factor in its quality and processing.
• Rheological analysis offers a powerful tool for honey authentication and classification.
• Further research integrating chemometrics can deepen the understanding of honey's complex properties.