Jimma University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia
Kinati, C., Jimma University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia; Tolemariam, T., Jimma University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia; Debele, K., Jimma University, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 307, Jimma, Ethiopia
This study was designed to evaluate different honey samples obtained from local market and beekeepers for their quality parameters at Gomma woredas, south west Ethiopia. Sixty samples were collected to evaluate their moisture, pH, acidity, ash, Estimation of Hydroxymethyl Furfural (HMF), water insoluble solids, total reducing sugar and sucrose content. The result showed locally produced honey had moisture, ash, acid, and pH contents ranged between 15.66 to 23.45%, 0.05-0.60, 0.30 and 57.30 meq kg- 1,3.45 and 4.18, respectively, which is within the standard limits. Similarly, the HMF and reducing sugar contents of locally produced honeys ranged from 0.05 to 17.70 mg kg-1 and 61.15 and 77.41%, respectively. The water insoluble material content of the honey samples ranged between 0.01 and 23.82 gm/100gm while the sucrose content ranged between 0.75-6.96 for the tested samples of locally produced honey. The result indicated that moisture content of honey at farmer level is increasing due to harvesting of un ripened honey and improper storage condition, which increases the hygroscopic of honey. Generally, the mean of all samples were found to be in acceptable range of international standards for all of the tested parameters except for water insoluble material indicating its potential for export with few management interventions.