Comparative Physicochemical and Mineral Profiling of Multifloral Honeys from Apis mellifera in Himachal Pradesh, India: Implications for Export and GI Tagging

This study examined the physicochemical, mineral, and bacterial profiles of multifloral honeys from Apis mellifera L. collected from different agro-climatic zones in Himachal Pradesh, India. Out of all honey samples, twenty-six honeys were identified as multifloral honeys through melissopalynological studies. The physicochemical parameters varied among all the multifloral honeys with an average results for pollen density (42,000–5,45,000 pollen grains per 10g), pH (3.97–5.96), Electrical conductivity (0.13-0.74mS/cm), moisture content (14.34–20.13%), optical density (0.12, Extra White − 2.41, Amber), density (1.35-1.61g/cm3), glucose (25.23–37.06%), fructose (31.7-40.66%), sucrose (2.74–5.78%), F:G (0.93–1.5), acidity (17.40-49.36meq/kg), vitamin C (7.67-38.49mg/100g), ash (0.02–0.42%), hydroxy methyl furfural (HMF) (6.59-86 mg/kg), diastase (4.53-30.48DN), phenol (12.96-108.54mg/100g), proline (18.19-113.98mg/100g) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (16.49–78.84%) content. The various minerals, viz., calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sodium, iron, and manganese, were detected. No significant signs of adulteration were detected, and all multifloral honey samples met the FSSAI safety standards, confirming their purity and adherence to proper storage practices. Further, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) suggested that the quality parameters varied among multifloral honeys based on origin, and the studied area harboured rich floral diversity that facilitates the production of unique multifloral honeys that can be attributed as geographical indications (GI) specific to the region.