INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE STORAGE ON THE FOOD QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY-TREE HONEY (ARBUTUS-UNEDO L) (Effetti della temperatura di conservazione sulla qualità alimentare del miele di Corbezzolo (Arbutus unedo L.))

Samples of strawberry-tree honey harvested the same day but characterized by different water contents (A = 17.4%; B = 21.2%) were stored for 1 year at these temperatures: +4 degrees, +16 degrees and +25 degrees C (consequently: A4, A16, A25 and B4, B16, B25). The number of yeasts and, consequently, the ethanol content increased depending on the storage temperature and on the water content of honey; the initial contents of number of yeasts and ethanol of the fresh and +4 degrees C stored honey were respectively 0.01% compared to the one of B16 for the number of yeasts, and the 0.75% compared to B16 and B25 samples for the ethanol, after 1 year of storage. The diastase activity, the HMF content and the index of colour seemed to depend only by storage-temperature factor and compared to the values of the Fresh and +4 degrees C stored honey, after I year, they were: diastase activity -35% on average in A25 and B25, -22% on average in A16 and B16; HMF content over +500% on average in A25 and B25; index of colour increased from 84 mm Pfund to 114 mm Pfund in A25 and B25. From the different data of the assays, the refrigeration at +4 degrees C of strawberry-tree honey with high water content results indispensable for long storage.