Evaluation of the percentage of water and presence of residues in honey traded informally.

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the percentage of water and the presence of residues in fresh honey, sold informally at the Guará I-DF fair. Collections and analyzes of 30 honey samples were made. The physical and chemical standards of the product were evaluated following the standards of current legislation. The percentage of H2O, bee parts, starch and pollen were analyzed. It was observed that 0.3% (1/30) of the samples showed a percentage of water in the product outside the established standards. Regarding the presence of bee parts, starch and pollen, all samples had at least one of the residues. The results showed that honey in natura is subject to several changes and the presence of insoluble materials that are not allowed by law to be present in the food, often making it unfit for consumption as it can cause damage to the health of the consumer if ingested. Research has shown that honey inspection activity is of fundamental importance in order to ensure that the food reaches the consumer's table with safety and ideal quality to avoid damage to public health and consumer fraud.