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Honey Physiochemical Properties and Factors Associated with Honey Quality in Ethiopia: A Review

Received: 13 December 2023    Accepted: 2 January 2024    Published: 18 January 2024
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Abstract

Honey is a naturally sweet material made by honey bees from plant nectar or secretions. The bees gather the nectar or secretions, change it by mixing it with other components, deposit, dehydrate, store, and then leave it in the honey comb to ripen and mature. Honey contains 80–85% carbohydrates, 15–17% water, 0.3% proteins, 0.2% ashes, small amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and other components in low concentrations. However, this component fluctuates depending on the impurities that affect the honey's quality. Thus, the current review aimed to provide information on physiochemical properties of honey and the factors that affect honey physiochemical properties. Obtaining premium honey and other bee products is the ultimate aim of beekeeping. However, factors like a lack of improved bee hive technology, chemical application, honey bee disease, predators, pests, honey harvesting and processing methods, honey adulteration, toxic plants, and intensifying farming practices are the main ones that negatively affect the quality and composition/physiochemical properties of honey. In addition to these difficulties, the physiochemical characteristics of honey deviate from those established by the Condex Alimentariuse Commissions, Ethiopian Apiculture Board, and European Union. The government and non-governmental organizations should therefore provide training on the challenges of honey production related to honey's physiochemical properties to all beekeepers and other stakeholders who participate in the beekeeping sector directly or indirectly in order to mitigate the problem of honey quality reduction.

Published in Animal and Veterinary Sciences (Volume 12, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12
Page(s) 11-18
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Adulteration, Agrochemical, Honey, Toxic Plants, Quality Parameter

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    Tirfie, A. M. (2024). Honey Physiochemical Properties and Factors Associated with Honey Quality in Ethiopia: A Review. Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 12(1), 11-18. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12

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    ACS Style

    Tirfie, A. M. Honey Physiochemical Properties and Factors Associated with Honey Quality in Ethiopia: A Review. Anim. Vet. Sci. 2024, 12(1), 11-18. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12

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    AMA Style

    Tirfie AM. Honey Physiochemical Properties and Factors Associated with Honey Quality in Ethiopia: A Review. Anim Vet Sci. 2024;12(1):11-18. doi: 10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12,
      author = {Abebe Melese Tirfie},
      title = {Honey Physiochemical Properties and Factors Associated with Honey Quality in Ethiopia: A Review},
      journal = {Animal and Veterinary Sciences},
      volume = {12},
      number = {1},
      pages = {11-18},
      doi = {10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.avs.20241201.12},
      abstract = {Honey is a naturally sweet material made by honey bees from plant nectar or secretions. The bees gather the nectar or secretions, change it by mixing it with other components, deposit, dehydrate, store, and then leave it in the honey comb to ripen and mature. Honey contains 80–85% carbohydrates, 15–17% water, 0.3% proteins, 0.2% ashes, small amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and other components in low concentrations. However, this component fluctuates depending on the impurities that affect the honey's quality. Thus, the current review aimed to provide information on physiochemical properties of honey and the factors that affect honey physiochemical properties. Obtaining premium honey and other bee products is the ultimate aim of beekeeping. However, factors like a lack of improved bee hive technology, chemical application, honey bee disease, predators, pests, honey harvesting and processing methods, honey adulteration, toxic plants, and intensifying farming practices are the main ones that negatively affect the quality and composition/physiochemical properties of honey. In addition to these difficulties, the physiochemical characteristics of honey deviate from those established by the Condex Alimentariuse Commissions, Ethiopian Apiculture Board, and European Union. The government and non-governmental organizations should therefore provide training on the challenges of honey production related to honey's physiochemical properties to all beekeepers and other stakeholders who participate in the beekeeping sector directly or indirectly in order to mitigate the problem of honey quality reduction.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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    T1  - Honey Physiochemical Properties and Factors Associated with Honey Quality in Ethiopia: A Review
    AU  - Abebe Melese Tirfie
    Y1  - 2024/01/18
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    T2  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
    JF  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
    JO  - Animal and Veterinary Sciences
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    EP  - 18
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.avs.20241201.12
    AB  - Honey is a naturally sweet material made by honey bees from plant nectar or secretions. The bees gather the nectar or secretions, change it by mixing it with other components, deposit, dehydrate, store, and then leave it in the honey comb to ripen and mature. Honey contains 80–85% carbohydrates, 15–17% water, 0.3% proteins, 0.2% ashes, small amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and other components in low concentrations. However, this component fluctuates depending on the impurities that affect the honey's quality. Thus, the current review aimed to provide information on physiochemical properties of honey and the factors that affect honey physiochemical properties. Obtaining premium honey and other bee products is the ultimate aim of beekeeping. However, factors like a lack of improved bee hive technology, chemical application, honey bee disease, predators, pests, honey harvesting and processing methods, honey adulteration, toxic plants, and intensifying farming practices are the main ones that negatively affect the quality and composition/physiochemical properties of honey. In addition to these difficulties, the physiochemical characteristics of honey deviate from those established by the Condex Alimentariuse Commissions, Ethiopian Apiculture Board, and European Union. The government and non-governmental organizations should therefore provide training on the challenges of honey production related to honey's physiochemical properties to all beekeepers and other stakeholders who participate in the beekeeping sector directly or indirectly in order to mitigate the problem of honey quality reduction.
    
    VL  - 12
    IS  - 1
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Author Information
  • Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture Food and Climate Science, Injibara University, Injibara, Ethiopia

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