Physicochemical Characterization of Honeys from Diverse Floral Sources in Murree, Pakistan, in the Context of Climate Change
Aneeba Amera, Sumaira Maqsooda, SYED ZIA UL HASANb, Muhammad Alic, Muhammad Ilyasd, Hina Safdare, Atta ur Rehman Saeedb, Salman Ghuffara, Aftab Ahmadf
- aDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Kohsar University Murree
- bHill Fruit Research Station, Sunny Bank Murree
- cDepartment of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. University of the Punjab Lahore
- dDepartment of Botany, Kohsar University, Murree, Punjab 47150
- eDepartment of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha
- fDepartment of Microbiology, Kohsar University Murree
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Abstract
Honey is one of the most valuable natural foods produced by bees. It is widely used as a healthy sweetener, traditional medicine, and source of antioxidants because of its rich nutritional and therapeutic properties. This study evaluated the physicochemical quality of four honey types (Oak, Pine Dew, Multiflora, and Apple) collected from four locations (Aliot, Kashmir Point, Kuldana, and Potha Shareef) in Murree, Pakistan. The parameters analyzed included moisture content (16.64–20.41 %), pH (3.36–5.0), electrical conductivity (0.67–1.21 mS/cm), and color intensity (37–122 mm Pfund). All results were within the acceptable ranges of international standards (Codex Alimentarius and EU). Oak and Apple honeys showed the best quality with lower moisture and attractive color, whereas samples from higher-rainfall areas had slightly higher moisture and mineral content. The study confirms that honey from Murree is pure, safe, and of excellent quality suitable for local use and export.