Comparação das características físico-químicas do mel de abelhas africanizadas (Apis mellifera) e abelhas jataí (Tetragonisca angustula)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the physical and chemical characteristics of Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera) and honey jataí (Tetragonisca angustula).Honey is the product resulting from the collection of secretions of plants or flowers by bees, defined as viscous fluid, with pleasant aroma and unique flavor, being assigned, therapeutic and medicinal characteristics. Due to these characteristics, it is a product of high commercial value, providing tampering with commercial sugar, or syrup. To enable the standardization and quality control of honey marketed, some patterns were established, through Normative Instruction nº 11/00. To conduct the study were collected three samples for each type of honey in the trade of Francisco Beltrão-PR, with two collections, totaling 12 samples. The parameters analyzed were moisture, ash, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, hydroxymethylfurfural, total acidity, pH, electrical conductivity, insoluble solids, in addition to analysis of tampering: test Fiehe, Lund and Lugol and microscopic analysis. The results showed a significant difference when comparing the parameters moisture, ash and hydroxymethylfurfural, between different types of honey. The analysis results show that the adulteration of honeys analyzed showed no evidence of fraud and / or forgery by adding sugar, syrup commercial, glucose, starch, among others. And microscopic analysis showed contamination in some samples as fragments of insect wings and legs.