Electrical conductivity of different types of the Serbian honey

Abstract

In this paper, the electrical conductivity of various types of honey collected from the Republic of Serbia was investigated. Electrical conductivity of honey has an important role in defining the overall properties and assessing the quality of honey. In accordance with the regulation concerning the quality of honey in the Republic of Serbia, minimum electrical conductivity in honeydew put in the market is set to 0.8 mS/cm. For other types of honey, the maximum permitted value of electrical conductivity is 0.8 mS/cm. A total of 138 samples of honey of different botanical origin were examined. The values of electrical conductivity were in the range between 0.08 and 1.99 mS/cm. Out of the total number of samples, 11 samples did not meet the requirements of relevant Serbian Regulations on the quality of honey due to inadequate electrical conductivity. The data indicated the lowest conductivity in acacia and rapeseed honey samples, while the highest conductivity was found in samples of forest and linden honey. Electrical conductivity is a useful tool for discriminating honeys of different botanical origin. For the purpose of more reliable confirmation of the botanical origin of honey it is necessary to perform pollen analysis of honey.