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Malta, a country renowned for its honey, has not been extensively mentioned in studies based on honey. In addition to many parameters, the collection period affects honey quality, precisely due to the different floral composition that exists during a certain season. Therefore, the significance of this study refers to the provision of data on honey from Malta collected during the autumn, spring, and summer seasons. Melissopalynological analysis, determination of physicochemical parameters, and the use of analytical chromatographic methods enabled detailed analysis of this honey. Principal component analysis (PCA) provided the differentiation of Maltese honey depending on the harvest season. Lotus pollen, followed by Eucalyptus, predominated in all honey samples. Characteristic compounds for summer honey were pinocembrin, galangin, kaempferol, chrysin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid and maltotriose, while quercetin 3-O-galactoside, ferulic acid, ellagic acid, protocatechuic acid, luteolin 7-O-glucoside and melibiose were specific for autumn honey. A higher amount of p-coumaric acid, genistein, catechin, as well as the content of many sugars were found in spring samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first scientific work dealing with a detailed chemical analysis of Maltese honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saffron ( Crocus sativus L.) is one of the most expensive spices in the world due to its strong market demand combined with its labor-intensive production process, which needs a lot of labor and has significant costs. New cultivation methods and traceability systems are required to improve and valorize local Italian saffron production. In this study, we conducted a three-year trial in Umbria (Central Italy), looking for a soilless cultivation method based on wooden bins posted at a suitable height from the ground to ease the sowing of corms and harvesting of flowers. Moreover, the spice traceability could be based on investigating the genetic variability of Italian saffron populations using SNP markers. The proposed novel cultivation method showed significantly higher stigma and corm production than the traditional one. At the same time, the genetic analysis revealed a total of 55 thousand SNPs, 53 of which were specific to the Italian saffron populations suitable to start a food traceability and spice certification.