Compositional Assessment of Honeys from the Central Atlantic Forest: Multielement and Physicochemical Characterization

The ongoing rise in both consumption and exportation of Brazilian honey underscores the need for stricter authentication and traceability protocols to ensure the quality and safety of this food product. Therefore, this study characterizes the multielemental and physicochemical composition of honey samples from the Central Corridor of the Atlantic Foresta recognized yet threatened biodiversity hotspot in Brazil. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and standard physical-chemical methods, 23 honey samples were analyzed for mineral content, including Al (0.0013-0.109 mg kg^-1), Ca (28.9-262.49 mg kg^-1), Cr (0.09-1.36 mg kg^-1), Cu (0.051-0.467 mg kg^-1), Fe (0.8-26.3 mg kg^-1), K (83.8-1896.5 mg kg^-1), Mg (20.8-349.5 mg kg^-1), Mn (0.010-6.94 mg kg^-1), Na (10.51-464.16 mg kg^-1), Se (0.143-0.317 mg kg^-1), Sr (0.003-1.429 mg kg^-1), and Zn (0.142-4.276 mg kg^-1), and quality parameters such as moisture (11.69-19.84%), insoluble solids (0.050-0.571 g 100 g^-1), acidity (41.3-79.5 mequiv kg^-1), HMF (7.80-39.77 mg kg^-1), diastase activity (3.07-23.76 DN), reducing sugars (56.31-80.07 g 100 g^-1), and apparent saccharose (2.10-17.74 g 100 g^-1). Potassium, calcium, and magnesium were the predominant minerals. Principal component analysis differentiated honey types, with polyfloral and monofloral samples forming distinct groups. Most samples met the Brazilian and international standards for physicochemical parameters. The findings highlight the quality profile of the Atlantic Forest's honey, which may contribute to the conservation of this endangered biome.