MOISTURE AND ACIDITY AS INDICATORS OF THE QUALITY OF HONEY ORIGINATING FROM VOJVODINA REGION

Th e color, aroma and fl avor are major sensory characteristics of honey, which are mainly determined by the botanical origin of honey as well as by processing and storage conditions. Increased moisture content above the maximum permitted level could result in honey spoilage, which aff ects its sensory properties. Th e higher water-in-honey content, the greater possibility of yeast fermentation and thus the change of the fl avor and color of honey. Fermentation process results in alcohol formation and, in the presence of oxygen, the alcohol will break down to acetic acid and water, which causes honey to have sour taste. Th us, moisture content of honey is a critical parameter for its quality as it aff ects the stability of honey and its resistance to microbial spoilage during storage. Physicochemical analysis of moisture content and acidity of honey play an important role in determining the overall characteristic of honey and fi nal assessment of its quality. In this study, the investigation of aforementioned parameters resulted in positive quality assessment for 48 of 50 examined honey samples produced in 2013 in the territory of Vojvodina.