Food chemistry: honey and counterfeits

State budgetary educational institution of the city of Moscow

"School No. 1584"

FOOD CHEMISTRY: HONEY AND COUNTERFEITS

Автор:

Крупнова Виктория Владимировна,

ученица 11 класса ГБОУ Школы №1584, г. Москва

Научный руководитель:

Берёзкина Елена Семёновна,

учитель биологии  ГБОУ Школа №1584

Научный консультант:

Сергеева Татьяна Альбертовна,

учитель английского языка

Научный консультант:

Вакурова Ольга Федоровна

учитель русского языка                                                                                                       ГБОУ ШКОЛА 1584  

Moscow, 2022

ANNOTATION

Bee honey is the main product of beekeeping, obtained as a result of processing plant nectar by bees. Natural honey is not only a valuable food product, but also has therapeutic and preventive properties. Currently due to the pandemic COVID-19 the issue of increasing immunity has become particularly acute. Many people turn to honey for this purpose. At the moment, the problem of honey adulteration in Russia has not been solved. In this regard, it was decided to independently test honey samples from various manufacturers with several experiments and determine their naturalness and quality.

Keywords: honey, adulteration, sucrose, glucose, pollen grains, sugar molasses.

INTRODUCTION

Natural honey is not only a valuable food product, but also has therapeutic and preventive properties. The antibacterial properties of honey are explained by the content of hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal and antimicrobial peptide - bee defensin - 1 [1]. In the modern world, honey production takes place on an industrial scale. In this regard, it became necessary to control the quality of the resulting product at various stages of production. Constant demand and high prices lead to the entry of counterfeits into the market. To increase the amount of the product, unscrupulous producers feed bees with sugar syrup or add it directly to honey [2].

It was decided to investigate the quality of honey from various sources using an optical microscope. It is known that glucose crystals have a regular geometric or needle shape, and sucrose crystals are large stellate particles [3]. In natural honey, the sucrose content should be minimal, therefore, if there is a lot of it, honey is a counterfeit.

Swabs of honey from various manufacturers were taken and examined under an optical microscope in the school laboratory. Honey samples were also examined according to GOST R 52940-2008 [4] for the content of pollen grains. The size and shape of the grains depend on the type of honey plant. Based on the results obtained, conclusions were drawn about the quality of honey of one or another origin.

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK

To detect the presence of glucose, sucrose and pollen grains in honey samples from various manufacturers in order to determine their quality and identify counterfeits. Compare the origin of honey declared by the manufacturer with the pollen grains contained in it.

TASKS

1. To study the physical and chemical properties of honey. Find out ways to detect the falsification of honey.

 2. Do experimental work. To find out the proportion of sucrose content, the number and origin of pollen grains in the studied honey samples.

3. Based on the results obtained, make a conclusion about the quality of the product of a particular manufacturer.

OVERVIEW OF SOURCES

Bee honey is the main product of beekeeping, obtained as a result of processing plant nectar by bees. The first mention of primitive beekeeping (bortnichestvo) among the ancient Slavs dates back to the V century [5]. The vast expanses of forests and pastures contributed to the development of this trade. Honey was used for food and for making drinks, was used to treat external wounds and a number of diseases. In the modern world thanks to the rapid development of science and technology, beekeeping has reached an industrial scale. Now beekeeping not only supplies a wide range of products to the market, but is also of great importance for the development of gardening and horticulture. Pollination, which takes place with the help of bees, provides high yields and higher-quality products. Honey is also actively used in medicine and cosmetology [6], because natural honey is not only a valuable food product, but also has therapeutic and preventive properties. From a chemical point of view, honey is a mixture whose composition depends on the type of honey plant, on the soil and climatic conditions. Natural honey contains all vitamins of group B, C, E, K, A, which in combination with natural mineral salts give more benefits than their synthetic substitutes. Honey has a high content of important macro- and microelements that affect the vital activity of the human body: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iodine, copper, iron. [7] Fructose and glucose, which mainly make up honey, do not harm tooth enamel and are well absorbed by the body. The antibacterial properties of honey are explained by the content of hydrogen peroxide, methylglyoxal and antimicrobial peptide - bee defensin-1 [1]. In natural honey, the water content should not exceed 22% of the total weight, and the sucrose content is 5%.

Fresh natural honey is a thick, viscous, semi-liquid mass that crystallizes and hardens over time. Immature honey flows down from the spoon, and mature is wound on it, layering. The consistency of honey is affected by the water content (liquid at 20% and higher, thicker at 14-15%), concentration and types of sugars. Honey containing more fructose is more liquid than honey, which is dominated by glucose. The density of honey is influenced by air and other gases contained in it. [8]

At home, the quality of honey can be determined in the following ways:

1.Natural honey dissolves evenly in the mouth, there should be no sugar crystals or powdered sugar on the tongue. The taste is a little tart and slightly tingles the throat; 2. Draining from the spoon, high-quality honey falls in a lump, forming bubbles on the surface. 3. If you take a tablespoon of honey and turn it over quickly several times, natural honey will be wound on it in layers.

 Currently, in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of increasing immunity has become particularly acute. Many people turn to honey for this purpose. Thus, not only consumers themselves, but also medical workers are interested in the naturalness of honey. [9] However, consumers have a lot of doubts about the quality and origin of the product. According to Roskachestvo data for 2020, out of 46 trademarks, only 3 meet all product quality and safety standards. [10] At the moment, the problem of honey adulteration in Russia and Europe is not solved. [11]   In this regard, it was decided to independently test honey samples from various manufacturers by several experiments and determine their naturalness and quality.