Characterization of honey produced in Bosnia and Herzegovina by physicochemical and microbiological assessment with microorganism identification

Because of its nutritional and medicinal qualities, honey is a significant dietary supplement that should be safe to consume. Honey samples (n=33) of different origin from various geographical locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina were examined with the aim of characterization. The study revealed following mean values: 16.95 %; 4.36; 0,19%; 72.56%, 0.73 mS/cm; 24.17 mEq/kg; 18.50 mg/kg and 34.84 mEq/kg for water content, pH, ash, sugar, electrical conductivity, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and free acidity, respectively. Ten samples (30.30%) did not meet the required level of physicochemical quality. For each sample, total viable count, Enterobacteriaceae, sulfite reducing clostridia, yeasts, molds and Salmonella sp., were determined. Total viable counts varied between 10 and 8300 cfu/g, sulfite reducing anaerobic bacteria between 10 and 50 cfu/g and molds level were between 100 and 7000 cfu/g, respectively. None of the samples contained Salmonella sp. or bacteria from Enterobacteriaceae gender. With reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina standards, maximal levels of selected microbiological properties were exceeded for two samples (6.06%) regarding clostridia and 14 samples (42.42%) for molds count. Cladosporium sp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp., and Alternatia sp. were molds identified in Bosnian honey. These molds originate mainly from primary sources of contamination. It is of great importance to maintain and improve the quality of domestic honeys since a large percentage of them are intended for export or domestic consumption due to it antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.