A review of methods for honey sensory analysis

Sensory analysis of honey may be used as a complement to physico-chemical and pollen analyses. It is used to confirm quality, verify the absence of defects, evaluate the conformity to established sensory profiles of unifloral honeys and also to understand consumer preferences. This paper will present a guide to sensory analysis methods for assessing the organoleptic properties of honey and the general procedures required to evaluate them. The standards for honey sensory analysis were developed in reference to specific scientific articles or ISO standards. General requirements for tasting procedures are defined by controlled experimental protocols regarding the design of test booths and best prac- tice for storage, preparation and presentation of honey samples. The assessors should be selected and trained for each method. They must follow the tasting procedures and rules when evaluating and reporting the visual, olfactory, olfac- tory-gustatory and tactile characteristics of honey (including their intensity) and confirm the absence of defects. Two methods for descriptive analysis are reported: the semi-quantitative method which uses detailed descriptors for visual, odor and flavor, and the profile method which employs twelve descriptors related to the botanical origin and whose intensity is scored using a horizontal line scale of 10 cm. Assessment of conformity evaluates a honey’s conformity to the botanical origin and the absence of defects. Also the profile method may be used to evaluate the conformity of uni- floral honey to established sensory standards and to measure the intensity of the attributes.