Effect of the duration of shelf life on some quality parameters related to bee honey

The changes in some parameters determining the quality of bee honey are traced after one and two years of storage at room temperature (5 - 8°C in winter months and 25 - 35°C in summer months). On samples of multifloral and honeydew honey (n=27) the following quality parameters have been defined: 20 water content (%), electrical conductivity (μS/cm), specific optical rotation ((ά) ), pH, total acidity (meq/kg), diastase activity (units by Gote), D hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF - mg/kg) content. It was found that the duration of storage at ambient conditions has a pronounced impact on the amount of HMF for copper samples analyzed. There were no significant changes in the amount of HMF in honeydew honey and in most of multifloral bee honey samples. Depending on the duration and storage conditions, the values from other quality parameters being within admissible limits stated in Bulgarian (BDS 3050/80, Decree 48/2003) and international regulations.