HONEY INTEGRITY ACROSS BEEKEEPING SYSTEMS

AUTHOR(S) / AUTOR(I): Zija Saidov, Vesna Karapetkovska-Hristova , Manjola Kulici , Ivan Pavlovic

 

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/8thMTAgricult.109S

ABSTRACT / SAŽETAK:

The objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the physicochemical parameters, nutritional composition and presence of heavy metals in honey produced in organic, transitional and conventional production systems, with samples collected from seven apiaries in the Eastern region of N. Macedonia. All analyses were performed in triplicate for each sample. Physicochemical and quality parameters, such as pH, humidity, diastase activity, HMF, sugar concentration and proline content, were determined and statistically analyzed with Student’s t-test (p < 0.05). The examination of heavy metals included cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The results showed that organic honey is characterized by higher acidity, minimal heat treatment, higher proline content and optimal humidity. Conventional honey showed higher sugar concentrations and more pronounced diastase activity. The differences in pH, HMF and sugar concentration were statistically significant between the different types of honey. Cadmium was below the detection limit in all samples analyzed, while lead exceeded the permitted limits in only one sample. These findings confirm the importance of production systems and local conditions for preserving the quality and safety of honey, emphasizing that the application of sustainable beekeeping practices and continuous environmental monitoring are necessary for the production of safe and nutritionally valuable honey.

KEYWORDS / KLJUČNE REČI:

beekeeping systems, physicochemical parameters, heavy metals, organic honey, quality

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / PROJEKAT:

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