Caracterização do mel do Médio Jequitinhonha - Brasil: uma abordagem preliminar

Abstract

Despite the wealth of information on honey from different Brazilian regions and even from other countries, honey from the Jequitinhonha Valley has received little attention. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the microscopic, phy-sicochemical and microbiological characteristics of samples of wild honey from the Jequitinhonha Valley. Samples were randomly collected at AAPIVAJE - Associação de Apicultores do Vale do Jequitinhonha and analyzed in the Laboratory of Chemistry of IFNMG - Araçuaí Campus. The physical-chemical analyzes included among the maturity indicators of honey: moisture; indicators of honey deterioration: pH and acidity; and sensory characteristics: color, taste and consistency. Microbiological analyzes focused on the occurrence of Salmonella spp., the most probable number of coliforms at 35°C and 45°C, and were based on the methodologies described in Normative Instruction No. 62 (Brazil, 2003). The moisture content of honey remained between 15.60% and 19.67%. The mean values of total soluble solids and specific weight at 20°C found in the samples were 82.26% and 1.42, respectively. The pH varied from 4.08 to 4.52 and the total acidity presented values close to 42 m.Eq.kg-1. The color of the samples ranged from 0.4244 to 1.6059mm, corresponding to light amber to dark amber colors, on the Pfund scale. Microbiological analyzes revealed safe levels of Salmonella (absence of 25g for samples), Coliforms, Yeasts and Molds. The results of this study indicated that samples of honey from the Jequitinhonha Valley met the standards of identity and quality of Brazilian standards, although more studies are needed.