Effect of moisture content and temperature on physicochemical and rheological properties of honey

The aim of the reported study was to investigate the effect of temperature (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70°C) and concentration levels (60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 (w/w) %) on the status of different physical parameters-electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), density, pH and viscosity of honey. Some other properties like refractive index,°Brix and moisture content were also determined. Temperature influences negatively density and viscosity of honey whereas other parameters increase with temperature. Electrical conductivity, TDS and viscosity varied significantly at all temperatures. The pH and density were found to vary significant only at higher concentrations and lowertemperatures. Arrhenius model was used to calculate activation energy of honey at different concentration levels. The study suggested that temperature and concentration affect honey characteristics significantly.