Colour identification of honey and methodical development of its instrumental measuring

Abstract

Abstract:Colour is one of the most important sensory traits of honey for the consumers. Honeys originating from different plant species are different in colour, but there could be variability within them as well, if originating from different geographical locations. Colour of the honey usually is determined by subjective methods. We determined colour categories by Lovibond method, and compared the results with reflectance spectrometry by Minolta Chromameter for broadening the possibilities of determining the colour of the honey and getting an objective image. First purpose of the study was to find whether the results by Lovibond method are in concordance with those got by reflectance spectrometry. The second purpose was to decide whether white or black backgrounds get the more accurate result when using the Minolta equipment. The results revealed that Minolta Chromameter is suitable to determine honey colour and the reflectance spectrometry data is comparable with the Lovibond method. Additionally white background is advised to be used by this instrument The L* (r=-0.884; p< 0.001) showed close significant correlation with the Lovibond categories.

Effect of Pollen Grains on the color of Honey from Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall.

“…Цвет меда является первым качественным показателем, оцениваемым заинтересованными сторонами, в том числе потребителями. Данный показатель зависит, по результатам многочисленных исследований, от химического состава пыльцевых зерен медоносных растений, которые содержат полифенолы, минеральные вещества, сахара, аминокислоты, а также от условий обработки, транспортирования и хранения [12,13]. Цветовой спектр меда может распространяться от бесцветного (светлого) до янтарно-желтого или черного [13].…”

Contribution to the Chromatic Characterization of Unifloral Honeys from Galicia (NW Spain)

“…The organoleptic, physicochemical characteristics and biological activity as the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of honey depend mainly on the nectar composition, geographical origin, weather conditions, and honeybee species involved in its production, although processing, manipulation, packaging, and storage time also influence [1,2,3,4,5]. These factors determine the color of honey, being the most important feature in consumers’ decisions and main attribute in food products [1,6,7], affecting the price of honey in the world market. Thus, in many countries and international trade, the price of the honey is related to its color.…”

“…Botanical origin and nectar composition provide particular tonalities of color to this diverse food. Some studies showed the strong influence of certain chemical compounds such as the polyphenols, carotenoids, or minerals in the color of honey [7,10,11,12,13], but in particular some flavonoids [14,15,16]. Flavonoids are widely distributed (in more than 50% of plant phenolic compounds) in the seeds, bark, leaves, and flowers of plants and trees [1,17].…”

“…However, to value certain parameters such as color is also important, for the chemical and botanical information that it provides. [7,10,14].…”

“…In recent years, instrumental techniques as the use of spectrophotometers or colorimeters have been successfully extended in food technology, which requires less time and provides easily comparable results [8]. Among the different systems of color spaces, the CIELab is currently used and recommended for most industrial applications, particularly for foods, because it uniformly covers the full visible spectrum of the human eye [7,25,26]. This method uses Cartesian coordinates to calculate the chromatic attributes in a color space.…”