Effects of long-term room temperature storage on phenolic acids and furfurals in honey

The performance stability during honey processing and storage is critical to evaluating honey quality and safety. Previous research mainly focused on the impact of heat processing on honey quality, while the molecular changes in chemical composition and the underlying mechanisms of honey during long-term room-temperature storage are unclear. Herein, the honey samples stored at 25 °C-30 °C for 0-24 months were prepared, and the differential metabolite profile of the prepared honey was analyzed using an HPLC-QTOF-MS-based untargeted metabolomics. Changes in characteristic compounds are presented as the degradation of six phenolic acids (gallic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid) and the generation of four furfurals (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 2-furaldehyde, 2-furyl-methyl ketone, and 5-methylfurfural). The variations in characteristic compounds of eight randomly selected batches of honey samples with different storage durations are consistent with the above. This study comprehensively investigated the changes in chemical composition during 24-month storage of acacia honey, demonstrating the significant impact of room-temperature storage on honey quality and providing a reference for honey quality control.