Organoleptic, Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Characterization of Two Main Varieties of Honey from Haut-Katanga

The objective of this study was to analyze some physicochemical parameters (density, pH, water content and sugar content), organoleptic (taste, color and odor) and bacteriological (counting of Escherichia Coli colonies) of the two main varieties of honey from Haut-Katanga in the laboratory, in order to determine their qualities. Thus, the results obtained showed that likasi honey is much more altered than Lubumbashi honey.The water content contained in these two samples is consistent with food codex standards i.e. less than or equal to 20%. The pH for both varieties remains within codex standards food because ranging from 3.88 to 4.5 while remaining in the range of the standard which wants it to be between 3.5 and 4.5. So both of ours varieties of honey are acidic. The sugar content remains lower than the standard of 57.5 and 60% instead of 78 to 80% as required by the standard.The density of our two varieties of honey of 1.39 and 1.45 remains in conformity with the standard of the food codex which requires it to be in the range of 1.39 and 1.45g/m3 . Both samples analyzed showed a high level of Escherichia coli or 3800 and 210 CFU/10g contrary to the standard which requires zero presence of these pathogenic germs in honey. Regarding the organoleptic parameters, we arrived at the following results: Both varieties of honey are brown in color and smell floral with a sweet flavor. These results therefore confirm the hypothesis that, two main varieties of honey from Haut-Katanga sold in Kinshasa honeys present alterations linked to poor production, conservation and transport conditions which would justify a low sugar content due perhaps to an accidental addition of another syrup in these honeys and a strong presence of Escherichia Coli indicating proof of a fecal contamination probably occurred in the process of either production, storage or transport of these honeys. This alteration in the sugar content in an isolated manner without modification of the other physicochemical and organoleptic parameters shows that there was no deliberate intention to fraudulently modify the quality of this honey for economic purposes but rather this calls into question the process of production, conservation and transport of this precious resource and this is also supported by the strong presence of pathogenic germs of fecal origin in the samples analyzed. Thus, this study recommended to other researchers to do the microbiological analysis of the production environment of these honeys in order to find the origin of possible contaminations detected in the laboratory while also taking into account other microbiological parameters not analyzed in this work. And from the Physicochemical point of view this study encouraged other researchers to deepen certain physicochemical aspects not taken into account in this work such as the refraction rate, the hydroxymethylfurfural content (HMF content), the concentration of heavy metals, the concentration of pesticide and veterinary drug residues. To the national authorities responsible for this sector, we propose the establishment of an environmental monitoring system in the two main sites (Likasi and Lubumbashi) with a view to controlling upstream the environmental conditions of production, conservation and transport of this honey in Haut-Katanga and strengthening downstream the quality control mechanisms before marketing and consumption of this honey in Kinshasa.