Honey moisture reduction using several thermal methods and their effects on its quality

Abstract

Honey is thermally heated at various methods to decrease the moisture content and prolong the shelf life. The heating methods might decrease the quality of honey's physicochemical and biochemical properties. The present study thermally treated the honey with a pasteurizer, evaporator, and dehumidifier. The most thermally affected to decrease the moisture content were treatment by dehumidifier (14.09%), subsequent evaporation (8.41%), and pasteurization (8.41%). After heating, significant differentiation was also observed in the variation of both HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural) content and diastase activity according to the botanical origin of the honey sample. In line with the biochemical analysis of honey, total phenolic decreased significantly during the pasteurization treatment. Evaporation was the most resistant thermal treatment due to its ability to maintain the level of HMF and the enzyme diastase as a standard for honey quality. However, changes made in physicochemical and biochemical quality are still in compliance with national and international legal limits.