Effects of harvesting methods on physicochemical and microbial qualities of honey.

Honey harvesting is accomplished using two main methods: traditional and modern methods; the former involves the use of naked flames to rid off or even destroy honey bees, while the latter involves use of smoke to suppress bees' aggressiveness. This research work investigated the effect of the method of harvesting on the quality of honey. The quality attributes investigated include: colour, total solids, viscosity, pH, diastase activity, acidity, sugars, ash, nitrogen, total antioxidants, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content and microbial properties. The results revealed that the honey samples harvested using modern harvesting method had better quality in terms of ash content, total antioxidants, diastase activity, colour, sugars and microbiological attributes. The lower quality of honey harvested using traditional method could be attributed to the adverse effect of the burning during traditional harvesting on the quality of the honey. It is therefore concluded that modern method of harvesting honey produces better quality of honey and should be encouraged.