Hydroxymethylfurfural in “Apis melifera” Linnaeus (Apoidea: Apidae) stored at room temperature and under refrigeration, Piauí - Brasil

Abstract

This research was carried out to evaluate the quality of honeys throughout the storage time in two different environments. The experiment was carried out in a warehouse in the Teresina city, Brazil. The samples were collected from four batches of honey from the 2005 harvest prepared for exportation, and stored under two different conditions, the treatments consisted of: conventional storage and storage under refrigeration. The samples were analyzed for hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) levels zero, 15; 30; 45; 60; 75 and 90 days of storage and the daily temperature were monitored in both storage environments. Laboratorial analyses were performed according to current Brazilian legislation. Refrigeration was effective in keeping mild temperatures in the acclimated storage, which was efficient in reducing the pace of HMF occurrence, when compared to the storage kept in environment temperature. The HMF content in the samples stored at environmental temperature were 44.78% higher than those kept under refrigeration.