CHANGES ON SACCHARIDE COMPOSITION OF HONEY DURING RIPENING UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

An experiment was carried Out to Study the effect of honey ripening under controlled conditions on the honey's saccharide composition. The experimental materials used for the analysis were the samples of unifloral honeys collected from different apiaries. Analysis were conducted on 79 samples of unripe honeys that were dehydrated in a specially-prepared chamber as well as on 69 samples of honeys from the same apiaries which were allowed to ripe in the hives. The dehydration of the unripe honeys resulted in an increase in the content of reducing sugars that ranged from 3 to 8%. Statistical analysis of the results demonstrated that in all varietes of dehydrated unripe honeys, except for linden honey, the content of the reducing Sugars increased to it significant extent. The content of reducing sugars in the dehydrated honeys and in-hive ripening honeys did not differ statistically, with an exception of dehydrated oilseed rape and borage honeys which had a significantly higher content of saccharide. The process of honey dehydration under controlled conditions caused a slight decrease in the content of saccharose in all honey varieties analyzed. The difference observed in its concentration between unripe and dehydrated honeys was around or below 1%.