A PARAMETER FOR QUALITY OF HONEY

Honey is used occasionally for sweetening infusions of black tea for i mproved palatability and believed health benefits. Naturally, this add ition is not expected to adversely affect the wholesomeness of the tea . However, some samples of honey are reported to turn the colour of th e tea infusion to an unappetizing tar-black, to the extent that it is considered unfit for human consumption. A thorough survey of the chemi cal composition suggests that the unusual high iron content may cause the blackening effect due to its association with polyphenolic tea com pounds. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.