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Brazil is a major producer of honey and is internationally recognized for the quality of this product. To assess the quality of the product, physicochemical analyses were carried out. In this sense, samples of honey from the eleven agroecological zones of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, were analyzed for moisture content, pH, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, water activity, diastase enzyme, color, and Lund reaction. Sixty-five samples of honey collected in the 2018-2019 harvest and 50 in the 2019-2020 harvest were analyzed. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and the Scott & Knott test (p<0.05) with the aid of scripts written in the R language. Principal component analysis (PCA) was also applied to the physicochemical dataset to verify possible sample groupings between the agroecological zones of the State and interactions between the variables. Moisture and apparent sucrose contents of the honey showed the greatest discrepancies in their values regarding what is permitted by the Brazilian legislation. Three agroecological zones were correlated in terms of the data found. PCA showed that moisture, pH, and water activity were relevant physicochemical parameters for grouping and discriminating samples. From the results herein shown, it is perceived the need for continuous monitoring of honey produced in Santa Catarina State, as well as the qualification of beekeepers for harvesting, processing, and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Brazilian honey comes from a megadiversity of bee flora, making it difficult to discriminate samples regarding their geographic origin. • The establishment of complementary analytical protocols is necessary for fraud detection and for typification of honey. • The UV–vis and NMR spectroscopic techniques coupled to chemometrics (PCA) proved to be effective for the discrimination of Brazilian honey according to the geographic origin. Honey is considered a complex matrix for presenting a range of secondary metabolites originating from the regional flora. It has been highlighted as a functional food consumed worldwide and frequently suffering from adulteration. Fraud methods have been sophisticated over the years, indicating the need of a continuous updating of the existing analysis methods. For this reason, analytical techniques applied to honey have been expanded, allowing the detection of fraud and the determination of geographic and botanical origin, to guarantee the authenticity of the product. In this sense, this study aimed to characterize floral honey samples in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 harvests in the states of Santa Catarina (SC, southern Brazil – n = 73) and São Paulo (SP, southeastern Brazil – n = 59), through UV–vis, NIR, and NMR spectroscopies. The total reduced capacity showed a wide variation (0.76–12.8 mg GAE.g−1) among the SC and SP samples. Spectroscopic analyses through UV–vis and NMR with the application of PCA proved effective for discriminating honey samples according to their geographical origin. The honey UV–vis spectral profiles allowed to detect wavelengths that can be associated with honey adulteration, however further studies are needed to establish the accuracy of detection regarding fraud. In summary, a set of analytical protocols is presented to determine the geographical origin of floral honey, even when originated from regions with great biodiversity such as Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]