Evaluation of honeys of different botanical origins stored under different conditions

The purpose of this study was to compare and characterize honeys from different botanical origins (monofloral: assa-peixe, coffee, cipó-uva, eucalyptus, gurucaia, and laranjeira; polyfloral: silvestre; and honeydew: bracatinga) during storage at room (RT), freezing (FR) and refrigeration (REF) temperatures and to determine the most suitable storage conditions for maintaining honey stability over a 6-month period. The honeys were stored at room (the average temperature was 28°C during the experiment), at freezing (-20°C) and refrigeration (7°C) temperatures. The quantification of sugars (fructose (F) and glucose (G)), moisture (M), F/G and G/M ratio at T0 and T180 (Time 180); analysis of water activity, absorbance, electrical conductivity, color (parameters L*, C* and h°), rheological behavior and microscopic analysis were performed during 6 months (T0, T30, T60, T90, T120, T150 and T180 days). Assa-peixe and cipó-uva honeys are more prone to crystallization, especially at REF at T180. Honeys underwent more changes in their original composition when stored at REF conditions, in general. Honeys from different botanical origins may need varied storage conditions to maintain quality. Therefore, knowledge of their behavior during storage is of great importance and interest for the industry, beekeepers and consumers, influencing product fractionation and packaging processes.