Co-crystallized Honey with Sucrose: Storage Evaluation and Sensory Acceptance

Honey is widely consumed due to its flavor and health characteristics. It is viscous and can crystallize inside the package, making it difficult to handle. This work aimed to obtain co-crystallized honey with sucrose, study its physico-chemical properties during 100 days of storage, evaluate its microbiological stability and sensory acceptance. The standard and co-crystallized honey with 5% maltodextrin was stored in glass and polypropylene flasks and multilayer polyethylene film in vacuum. During storage, samples water activity ranged from 0.396 to 0.491, repose angle from 23.36 to 40.47 degrees, density from 0.42 to 0.55 g cm(-3)and hygroscopicity from 5.330 to 7.952%, showing no interference regarding to packaging material used. Microbiological analyzes of salmonella, molds and yeasts attended the legislation. Pineaple juice sweetened with honey co-crystallized with sucrose showed good sensory acceptance and purchase intention, indicating possibilibty for use in food formulations.