RESEARCH ON COMMERCIAL HONEYS IN ITALY - MINERAL FRACTION

A study about the mineral constituents of commercial honeys purchased in Italy was performed. A number of 105 samples were analysed and dist ributed in function of their botanical origin. Chestnut, eucalyptus an d citrus honeys were from Italian districts, only the acacia honey der ived from Italy and other countries: the miscellaneous production was the most abundant (52% of the samples). The ratio of the different hon eys present on the market is the Following: acacia (44%), citrus (30%) , eucalyptus (16%) and chestnut (10%). The countries that produced hon ey Found in Italy were: Hungary, China and Rumania. The cations (calci um, magnesium, sodium and potassium) and anions (fluorides, clorides, nitrates, phosphates and sulphates) were detected and quantitated by a high performance ionic chromatography with an electrochemical detecto r equipped with a suppressor. The potassium was the most represented c ation, and fluorides were the most numerous in the anions fraction. No clear differences appear for a geographycal characterisation.