IMPACT OF CORN AND RICE SYRUP ADULTERATION ON PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF TILIA HONEY

Abstract

The aim of this study was to highlight the impact of corn and rice syrups adulteration on physico-chemical parameters of tilia honey. For this purpose, tilia honey was adulterated by addition of concentrated corn and rice syrups in different percentages: 5%, 10%, 20% and 50%. The parameters chosen to study the influence of adulteration agents in honey were the following: pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity, color, moisture content, hydroxymethyl furfural content and the sugar content (fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, melesitose, turanose, trehalose, raffinose and F/G ratio).  The result indicated that the adulteration with corn and rice syrup caused significant chances on most of physico-chemical parameters values. The moisture content of adulterated honey with both types of syrup increased depending on the degree adulteration from 16.75% in authentic honey to 19.39% for 50% adulterated honey with corn syrup and to 17.03% for adulterated honey with 50% rice syrup. The hydroxymethyl furfural content of honey samples did not exceed the maximum allowed limit (40 mg/kg). The free acidity content decreased from 14.56 meq/kg in authentic honey to 8.96 meq/kg in adulterated honey with 50% corn syrup and increased from 14.56 meq/kg to 18.17 meq/kg in adulterated honey with 50% rice syrup. Electrical conductivity decreased 1.91 times in adulterated honey with 50% corn syrup and increased 1.41 times in adulterated honey with 50% rice syrup.