Geographical Differentiation of Honeys from Entre Ríos (Argentina) through Physicochemical Analysis: A Scientific Approach for the Characterization and Authentication of Regional Honeys

Abstract

Argentina’s prominent global position in honey production is due to its extensive agroecological diversity. This study assessed the influence of geographical origin on the physicochemical properties of honeys from southeastern Entre Ríos. In total, 104 honey samples from Gualeguaychú (GU), Islas del Ibicuy (II), and Concepción del Uruguay (CU) (2020–2022) were analyzed. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among districts: the II samples displayed the lowest values (color, conductivity, acidity, pH, and ash), the GU samples showed moderate values, and the CU samples exhibited the highest values, except for humidity. Chemometric analyses explained 75.5% of data variability (PCA) and successfully classified 85.3% of the samples by their origin (LDA). These findings bear implications for product differentiation and market value enhancement in Entre Ríos’ honey industry, serving as a foundation for future quality control and origin identification endeavors.

Keywords

• physicochemical honey analysis
• geographical origin of honey
• principal component analysis
• linear discriminant analysis