Produção de mel, controle de qualidade e atividade antimicrobiana: uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

Care and hygiene are essential from cultivation to storage to maintain honey's quality, safety, and nutrients. The present work aimed to carry out a bibliographical review regarding the production of honey, quality control and its antimicrobial activity, in order to identify how the theme is treated and contributes to future works that are related to the subject. For this, scientific articles published in journals that addressed honey production, quality control, its importance, methods, and antimicrobial activity were consulted. The databases consulted were Google Scholar, Scielo, and CAPES. Technical information on quality control and antimicrobial activity was consulted on government and regulatory websites such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Anvisa, and Embrapa. For the research, the following descriptors were used: “honey”, “quality control” and “antimicrobial activity”. The main results indicated that men had used honey for many years, and this natural product was discovered through other animals that used it in food. Until today it is consumed by several species of animals and is present in the food of many people worldwide. In addition, it is widely used to benefit health through its nutrients. Therefore, quality control and the antimicrobial activity of honey are fundamental aspects to guarantee the product's safety, authenticity, and value. In this way, it is concluded that carrying out quality tests is essential to ensure the quality of honey, protect consumers' health and ensure compliance with established regulations and standards. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of honey plays an essential role in its conservation, inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms and prolonging its shelf life.