Characterization of the aroma profile and methylglyoxal content of meads produced from mānuka honey with different nitrogen levels and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains

Abstract The world-renowned mānuka honey is an economically significant product, with large markets globally. Recently, there has been an upsurge in the use of mānuka honey in the production of premium meads, known as honey wine; however, no studies have yet evaluated the efficiency of mānuka honey mead fermentation or their resulting aroma profiles. Aroma profiles of mānuka meads produced from low and high yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) (32 and 200 mg L −1 ) worts, and four different yeast strains (EC-1118, RM11-1-1, S288C and Y55), were characterized. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were quantitated using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). VOCs were influenced by both YAN and yeast strain. High YAN reduced the fermentation duration, increased acetate and ethyl esters, and decreased higher alcohols and fatty acids. Norisoprenoids and monoterpenes, markers of honey origin, varied based on YAN and yeast strain. Methylglyoxal (MGO), a key quality marker for mānuka honey, was not retained in the meads after fermentation, suggesting that the MGO is detoxified by yeast. These results confirm the importance nutrient supplementation for superior fermentation performance, and the production of compounds related to fruity aromas, in mānuka mead. We recommend back-sweetening the mead with mānuka honey to reintroduce the MGO lost during fermentation.