Although honey seems to possess a characteristic flavor, variety of flowers avaiable to bees gives differents flavors and aromas, indicating the presence of various volatile compounds. Some of these also depends on the phisiology of the bee, the processing after harvest and in honeydew honey there is the interference of sucking insects and ants. Many volatile substances have already been identified and some of them are specific of typical unifloral honeys. With the purpose of finding a characteristic volatile substance of honeydew honey, six samples of this kind and six floral honeys were analysed by extraction using hidrogen steam and gas chromathography with mass spectrometry. Acetic acid has been found in four honeydew honey and in one floral honey, but with less abundance.
volatile compounds; aroma; honey
