Author
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DONER, LANDIS |
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Submitted to: Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition
Publication Type: Review Article Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2002 Publication Date: 4/20/2003 Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Until the late 19th century honey served as our primary sweetener. It remains the only sweetener that can be stored and consumed precisely as it is produced. World production is about 1.2 million tons each year. Floral nectar is the primary raw material used by honeybees for honey production. In addition to removing most of the water from nectar, bees add a number of fenzymes for the "ripening" process. The enzymes result in honey being a considerably more complex substance. Glucose oxidase results in the formation of gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. The former is the major acid in honey and the latter stabilizes honey against bacteria. Glucosidases result in reversion reactions, where a portion of nectar fructose, glucose, and sucrose are transformed into an array of more than 25 di- and trisaccharides. Fructose (38.4%), glucose (30.3%) and water (17.2%) are the major components of honey, so some of the sugars are present at very low levels. Flavor and aroma differences among honeys are due to trace components derived from individual floral sources. Honey is expensive, so methods have been developed to detect inexpensive corn and cane-derived sugars in admixture. |
