A study on the physicochemical properties of honeys purchased by the Agricultural Credit Cooperative in Bingöl

This study was conducted to determine the physicochemical properties and quality of honey produced in Bingöl province and purchased by the Agricultural Credit Cooperative. Through the Agricultural Credit Cooperative, quality analyses of honey samples collected from beekeepers in Bingöl were conducted in accredited laboratories, and those that met the standards were purchased and marketed. This practice is of great importance for improving the quality of Bingöl honey and ensuring its sustainability. Therefore, the analysis results of honey collected from producers over the past six years (2019-2024) were examined and evaluated. When the quality characteristics of the honey were analyzed by year, significant differences were observed between years for some parameters. The average values of moisture content (16.84%), diastase number (20.72), electrical conductivity (0.28 mS/cm), proline value (608.25 mg/kg), delta C13 protein value (-0.887%), free acidity (16.94 meq/kg), HMF value (2.88 mg/kg), C4 sugar content (0.20%), difference between C13 values (0.08%), delta C13 raw honey value (-0.895%), fructose content (40.45%), glucose content (32.59%), maltose content (0.06%), sucrose content (0.24%), fructose/glucose ratio (1.24) and fructose + glucose ratio (73.11 g/100 g) of honey samples were determined. The differences in delta C13 protein values, delta C13 raw honey values, fructose contents, and glucose contents between the years were found to be significant (P≤0.05), while the differences in other characteristics were found to be insignificant. All the honey samples produced and analyzed between 2019 and 2024, and purchased, were found to comply with the Turkish Food Codex Honey Communique (2020/7). In conclusion, considering the support provided by the Agricultural Credit Cooperative to producers during the production and marketing stages, as well as the economic and health-related benefits offered to consumers, it would be beneficial to continue this practice until producers reach the desired level of production awareness.