Physical and Chemical Properties and Content of Heavy Metals in Honey Samples from the Area of High Herzegovina

Honey is a sweet, thick and viscous product with a characteristic taste and smell. It is produced by honeybees from nectar and honeydew. The quality of honey is influenced by the geographical area, the diversity of honey plants, the environment, the origin of bees and the treatment of beekeepers, and the way honey is kept and stored. The goal of this research was to determine the physical and chemical properties and content of heavy metals in nectar honey samples and whether geographical location has an impact on these parameters. 20 samples of nectar honey collected from four municipalities from the territory of high Herzegovina were examined. Typical quality indicators such as water content, total acidity, electrical conductivity, determination of honey color and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) were determined. In addition to the above, the content of heavy metals and macroelements was determined, namely copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and potassium (K). The analysis showed that all samples have lower values from maximally allowed values set by on honey and other bee products [5] in the content of HMF, while certain samples do not meet the values of the Rulebook in the content of water, acidity and electrical conductivity. When it comes to heavy metals in the analyzed samples, the analysis found that all samples contain satisfactory concentrations of cadmium, zinc and potassium, while 9 out of 20 samples have higher values of copper, lead and iron than specified in the Rulebook on maximum allowed quantities of food contaminants [6]. According to the results of statistically processed data (one-factor ANOVA) between the examined samples there is no statistically significant difference in any parameter, which leads us to the conclusion that certain geographical factors of four selected municipalities in high Herzegovina have the same or similar impact on physico-chemical characteristics and honey quality from the same areas.