Physico-Chemical and Labeling Control of Imported Honeys in Burkina Faso

doi:10.4236/fns.2013.412162

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Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2013, 4, 1266-1270

Published Online December 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/fns)

http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/fns.2013.412162

Open Access FNS

Physico-Chemical and Labeling Control of Imported

Honeys in Burkina Faso

Schweitzer Paul1, Nombré Issa2,3, Aidoo Kwamé4, Boussim I. Joseph3

1Laboratoire d’Analyses et d’Ecologie Apicole Centre d’Etudes Techniques Apicole de Moselle, Guenange, France; 2Institut des

Sciences, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 3Laboratoire de Biologie et Écologie Végétales UFR Science et Technique Université de

Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 4International Stingless Bee Centre, Department of Entomology and Wildlife, Univer-

sity of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Email: [email protected]

Received September 4th, 2013; revised October 4th, 2013; accepted October 11th, 2013

which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In accor-

ABSTRACT

Burkina Faso is situated in the cen tre of Western Africa with a high illiteracy rate, despite efforts of the governments to

improve education. This is not without consequences on the choice of foodstuffs bought and consumed by the people

and the consequent effect on their health. Honey is one of the foodstuffs consumed by people. However local produc-

tion falls short of demand, and so most supermarkets in Burkina Faso sell imported honey. Do these imported honeys

conform to the international standards regarding labeling of foodstuffs, and specifically do they possess physico-

chemical characteristics that conform to international norms of Codex Alimentarus and European honey Commission?

The study investigated certain characteristics established by standards of the European Commission and Codex Ali-

mentarius. The labels on packaged honey were analyzed according to the standard of Journa l Officiel. Results show that

the physic-chemical plan, the hydroxyl-methyl-furfural (HMF) content were high whereas the diastase index was low

indicating lack of freshness of imported honeys. For the stability, honey samples conformed to the standard of the

European Commission and Cod ex Alimentarius. Only two honey samples fulfill the Codex Alimentarius and the Euro-

pean commission norms. Storage temperatures degrade honey considerably and it suggested that under tropical condi-

tions the deadline for opti mal use (DLUO) of honeys is reduced to one year.

Keywords: Honey Analysis; Food Labeling; Consumption Deadline; Burkina Faso

1. Introduction

Honey is defined as the natural sweet substance, pro-

duced by honeybees from the nectar of plants or from

secretions of living parts of plants, or excretions of

plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which

the bees collect, transform by combining with specific

substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and

leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature [1-3]. So, all

honeys intended for human consumption must conform

to this definition. Unfortunately, honeys that do not con-

form to these criteria are found on sale in super markets

of Burkina Faso. Some of the physico-chemical and or-

ganoleptic characteristics do not conform to those de-

scribed by Codex Alimentarirus and European Commis-

sion. Moreover, their labeling on the packaging has to

conform to that of [4]. Indeed, the labeling should not

mislead the consumers with regard to the composition of

the product and its origin, and persuade them that this

foodstuff possesses particular characteristics [5].

In developed countries, many studies have shown sev-

eral cases of honey adulteration. In Sub Saharan Africa,

and particularly in Burkina Faso studies have concen-

trated on melliferous plant species [6,7], and the impact

of temperature on honey storage [8]. However in many

developing countries well laid down mechanisms to con-

trol the quality of honey is absent. This makes it difficu lt

for producers to meet export standards of the European

Commission or Codex Alimentarius [9].

This study aims to draw consumers’ attention to inter-

national standards as related to the importation and sale

of honeys in Burkina Faso. The labeling will be verified

Physico-Chemical and Labeling Control of Imported Honeys in Burkina Faso 1267

according to the standards outlined in the [4] and the

physico-chemical characteristics according to [2] and

European Honey Commission [1].

2. Material and Methods

Imported honeys in super markets in Ouagadougou,

Burkina Faso were sampled on 05 April 2013. According

to the availability, th ree to five honey pots per sample of

any type were bought. The interior temperature of the

shelf where honeys were displayed was recorded with

Kestrel 4000 version: 4.29 ALL. All the honey samples

were analyzed at the laboratories of the Centre d’Etude

Technique Apicole de Moselle, France according to the

harmonized methods of the European Honey Commis-

sion [1]. The following characteristics of the honey sam-

ples were analyzed: coolness indicators as Hydroxy-

methyl-furf ural (H MF) an d dias tasiqu e activity (amylase);

stability indicators as moisture, pH, free acidity, fructose

and glucose; botanical origin as electrical conductivity

and the colour.

The information on the labeling was verified according

to the Directive 2000/13/CE [10]. According to this di-

rective, the information which necessarily have to appear

in the case of honey are: the name of sale, the net quan-

tity, the particular condition s of conserv ation an d use, the

company name and the address of manufacturer, the

deadline for optimal use (DLUO), the geographical ori-

gin and the indicative price.

3. Results

Generally, the labeling of the imported honey jars was

regular. Legal requirements were presented (Table 1).

However the name and the add ress of producer s were not

mentioned as shown in the table.

Most of the honey samples (72.72%) were mixed

flower honeys with their geographical origin being from

or outside the European Commission (Table 1). Two

honey samples (18.18%) were from Spain and one from

Australia.

According to the Deadline for Optimal Use stated, one

of the honey samples had expired (01/04/2013). Three

will expire in 2013, six in 2014 and only one in 2015.

Two honeys (N˚ 9 and 11) had the same name (miel

d’oranger), but they didn’t have the same composition

and the same geographical origin. Four honey samples

had the botanical origin as miel d’Acacia, d’oranger,

d’oranger and romarin); two were honeydew honeys

(miel de montagne, miel de forêt et de sapin); the others

were flower honeys.

Table 2 summarized the results of the analysis of the

honey samples in terms of their coolness, stability, color

and botanical origins. All these characteristics are im-

portant to the product quality and therefore the consum-

ers’ health.

The Hydroxy-methyl-furfural (HMF) content varied

from 29.9 mg/kg for sample N˚ 1 to 122.7 mg/kg for

sample N˚ 8. The HMF content of most of the honey

samples (81.81%) exceeded the Codex Alimentarius and

European commission standard that were less or equal to

40 mg/kg. Only two samples (N˚ 1 and 11) had their

HMF value under 40 mg/kg. For the amylase content, the

values varied from 4 to 15 Schade unity (N˚ 4 and N˚ 15).

Forty-five and half per cent (45.5%) had their values

Table 1. Presentation of honey samples according to the descriptions on the labeling.

Presentation of different honey samples

N˚ Denomination Geographical origin Net weight (g) DLUO Price (€)

1 Miel de forêt et de sapin Mixture of honeys from EC and non EC 375 01/09/2013 5.27

2 Miel de montagne Spain 250 01/04/2013 5.56

3 Miel crémeux Mixture of honeys from EC and non EC 250 01/01/2014 5.27

4 Miel de fleurs Mixture of honeys from EC and non EC 375 01/07/2014 7.91

5 Miel de fleurs Mixture of honeys from EC and non EC 450 01/07/2014 5.37

6 Miel d’acacia Mixture of Acacia honey from EC 375 01/10/2013 8

7 Tartimiel Mixture of orange tree and Acacia from EC and non EC250 01/07/2014 5

8 American green From Australian 500 03/2015 3.43

9 Miel d’oranger Mixture of orange tree honeys from Spain and Mexico 250 01/10/2014 5.27

10 Miel de romarin Mixture of rosemary honeys from Spain 375 01/08/2013 7.94

11 Miel d’oranger Mixture of honeys from EC and non EC 250 30/10/2014 4.88

EC: European Community; DLUO: Deadline for optimal used.

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Physico-Chemical and Labeling Control of Imported Honeys in Burkina Faso

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Table 2. Physicochemical characteristics of imported honey samples.

Product freshness Product stability Botanical origin Colour

N˚ HMF

(mg/Kg) Amylase

(Schade unity) Moisture

(g/100g) pH Free acidity

(mEq/kg) Electrical conductivity

(µS/cm) Pfund

scale (mm) USDA colour

standards

1 38.5 15 17.5 4.8415 993 150 Dark amber

2 44.7 14 17.5 3.5818.9 540 150 Dark amber

3 50.5 11 18.4 4.0611.1 393 66 Light amber

4 89.9 4 17.8 4.0911.9 284 58 Light amber

5 62.8 8 17.8 4.069.2 243 58 Light amber

6 46.4 7 17 4.376.1 125 22 White

7 75.9 7 16.9 3.968.4 224 61 Light amber

8 122.7 4 16.4 4.395.1 119 69 Light amber

9 45.6 9 17.9 4.2212.5 260 77 Light amber

10 100.4 7 17.7 4.019.5 172 68 Light amber

11 29.9 10 16.4 4.1512.8 687 41 Extra light amber

over the Codex Alimentarius and European Commission

standard and 54.55% had their values lower than 8

Schade unity.

For the stability, all of honey samples conformed to

the standard of the Codex Alimentarius and that of the

European Commission. The pH value varied from 3.58 to

4.84. Only one honey sample (N˚ 1) had pH level being

the same as that of the honeydew honeys. In terms of the

free acidity, the value varied from 5.1 to 18 meq/kg. All

the values were lower than 50 meq/kg.

The conductivity of honey samples showed that most

of them (90.90%) were flower honeys with conductivity

lower than 0.8 mS/cm. Only one sample (N˚ 1) had con-

ductivity more 0.8 mS/cm.

According to US Department of Agriculture colour

standards [11], the honey samples varied from dark am-

ber (N˚ 1, and 2) to white (N˚ 6). Many (63.63%) were of

light amber in colour.

4. Discussion

Despite the important efforts done in physico-chemical

analyses, the detection and the quantification of honey

adulterations continue to be a difficult problem [12].

Even with the adaptation of international standards, the

detection and authentication of honeys have become a

preoccupation of many. In terms of honey labeling, the

results show that honey samples fulfilled the criteria of

the European commission and Codex Alimentarius. Only

one sample failed to meet the criteria. But according to [5]

and [13], the DLUO does not mean that the honey cannot

be consumer, but it means that the honey must not fer-

mented. It however meets the legal quality criteria, par-

ticularly the index of age as indicated by the HMF and

Diastase Index.

The producer cannot be responsible for bad storage

conditions of the distributor or in th e consumers’ houses.

This is why it is necessary to indicate the particular con-

ditions for good storage of honey.

For the physico-chemical analyses, the expired honey

sample fulfilled a lot of criteria except the HMF value

where it was slightly higher than 40 mg/Kg.

The honey freshness is an important criterion for the

consumers [14]. Indeed, the diastase index and the HMF

content are quality factors and they give the age and the

thermal past of the honey [15].

For the HMF content, a lot of honey samples did not

meet the standard of the Codex Alimentarius and the

European Commission. Indeed, at harvest, the comb

honey does not have any HMF value, but time and the

temperature accelerates its formation and according to

[16], this value is multiplied by 1.10 times in six months

and by 2.0 in one year when honeys were stored between

15˚C and 20˚C. This explains this high HMF value of the

sampled honeys because they were storage at 30˚C. Nev-

ertheless, two samples despite their DLUO fulfilled this

HMF criterion.

The results of the enzymes activities bring good in-

formation on the thermal treatment of the honeys studied.

Its interpretation allows for the detection not only the

freshness state of honey but also the optimal conditions

of storage. Finally, when the history of the honey is not

known, the analysis allows for the detection of the kind

of degradation that it has been subjected [15].

For the diastasique index, a lot of honey samples stud-

ied were degraded. That can be explained by the storage

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Physico-Chemical and Labeling Control of Imported Honeys in Burkina Faso 1269

temperature because according to [3,16], the amylase

content is sensitive to the temperature and these small

values can be a proof of deterioration due to excessive

heating.

One honey sample (N˚ 1) is honeydew honey by its

denomination and its physicochemical characteristics.

Indeed, according to [17], honeydew honey is character-

ized by its very dark colour (dark amber), its high pH

value (4.84) and its electrical conductivity (0.9 mS/cm).

The others honey samples were of flower origin.

The honey colour is the physical property perceived

immediately by the consumers [18]. Even if the colours

were from the plant species foraged by honeybees, the

temperature also influence it. The honey samples ful-

filled the international norms.

Only two honey samples, one from honeydews honey

(N˚ 1) and the second from flowers (N˚ 11) fulfill the

Codex Alimentarius and the European commission

norms. The sample N˚ 8 with 122.7 mg/Kg of HMF co n-

tent and 4 Schade unity of diastase index and DLUO in

2015 is the most degraded honey. Probably it has been

heated. The sample N˚ 6, 9, and 11 would had less dia-

stase index because they were from Acacia and Citrus or

according to [19] the honey of such characteristics are

naturally poor in diastase. The others samples N˚ 4, 6, 7,

and 10 with high HMF level and low diastasique index

have been degraded by the storage temperature near 30

˚C because according to [8], the tropical temperature of

storage increase the HMF and amylase content rapidly

and that can reduce considerably the honeys’ DLUO.

5. Conclusion

The results show that a lot of honey samples fulfill the

labeling criterion. Also, lots of them have been degraded

by storage temperature. Only two honey samples fulfill

the Codex Alimentarius and Eur opean Commission n orms.

The temperature in tropical area is an important factor that

limits the DLUO. Accordingly a storage condition, the

DLUO between 6 months and one year is suggested for

the honeys sold in tropical regions. That will allow for the

preservation of their qualities. The invertase and sugars

content and also pollen analysis have not been carried out

during this study. These would allow the detection of

sugar adulteration by the addition of saccharose syrup.

Another important characteristic is the presence of anti-

biotics. This affects the honey quality and can pose

enough danger to public health. Future studies will be

concentrated on the above so as to constitute a database

for improving the honey quality and to be able to monitor

the characteristics of imported honeys in Burkina Faso.

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