Effects of Propeller and Stirring-Speed on the Rheological, Physicochemical, and Sensory Characteristics of Creamed...

Creamed honey has high added value. During its processing, the mixing conditions of macerated crystal seeds with liquid honey can influence crystallization and product creaminess. Therefore, the effects of propeller type (Naval and ARA-S) and stirring speed (180 and 360 rpm) in a mechanical stirrer on the rheological, physicochemical, and sensory properties of creamed honey were evaluated. The physicochemical characteristics of the products complied with the limits established by the Codex Alimentarius. The creamed honeys exhibited typical pseudoplastic flow curves (R² > 0.9997 and RMSE < 12.81), with higher apparent viscosity at 10 s^-1 (η₁₀) (p < 0.05) for samples stirred with the Naval propeller (42.54 ± 1.84 Pa s) compared with those stirred using ARA-S (36.30 ± 1.94 Pa s). The temperature dependence of η₁₀ was described by the Arrhenius model (R² > 0.9978 and RMSE < 1.35). All treatments presented thixotropic behavior, fitted to the Weltman model (R² > 0.9632 and RMSE < 60.11), with no significant differences (p > 0.05) among treatments in terms of hysteresis area. Oscillatory rheological data revealed a liquid-like behavior (viscous modulus (G″) > elastic modulus (G')) for the creamed honeys. Both G' and G″ were significantly affected (p < 0.05) by the interaction between propeller type and stirring speed. Temperature sweep tests revealed the low thermal stability of the crystalline structure in all treatments. Creamed honey showed high sensory acceptance (≥ 7.32) and purchase intent (≥ 3.78), with no significant differences (p > 0.05) among treatments, and superior (p < 0.05) scores compared with naturally granulated honey. Overall, these findings offer honey producers practical guidance to optimize processing and enhance sector profitability by supporting the commercialization of a higher-quality, value-added product.