Il contenuto di etanolo nel miele per la valutazione di processi fermentativi

the main causes of honey fermentation reported in the literature are water content, expressed as moisture (%) or water activity (aw), bacterial contamination and storage temperatures. at the present the detremination of whether a honey has undergone fermentation is made by means of a sensory analysis performed by an expert analyst. However during both production and inspection, it is of fundamental importance to have a parameter and a method of analysis for objectively determining the presence of a fermentation process and defining a thresholdfor differentiating between fermented and non-fermented honeys. In the study a procedure for assessing the onset and pattern of fermentation in honey kept at different temperatures (corresponding to possible and actual storage temperatures 15, 20, 25, 30, 35°C) and at different levels of moisture (16, 17, 18, 19, 20%) is taken into consideration.The samples were stored for a total of 18 months.