ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the proximate composition and quality assessment of honey sold in Akure market. A total of 15 samples of honey from 13 locations in Orita Obele, Ire Akari, FUTA, Isinigbo, Igoba, Ita-Ogbolu 1, Ita Ogbolu 2, Ondo Road, Oba Ile, Oda, Araromi, Oja Oba and Ogbefe. Five samples of honey were obtained from each selected market, open market, honey producer and supermarket and were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics using, Analysis of variance (ANOVA). From the results obtained, carbohydrate 83.72a±3.47, moisture 5.22a±1.39 and protein 0.87a±0.20 was highly significant (P<0.05) honey producer had the highest carbohydrate concentration 83.72a±3.47. Open market had the highest moisture content values 13.89b±1.69 respectively while the honey producer had the least value for moisture content 5.22a±1.39. While other proximate composition shows variation in their level of concentration. The results show the different level of significant of the representative biochemical composition sample from the various locations. Sugar concentration 64.58a±2.14 was higher among the honey sold in open market while lactic acid 64.00a±3.22 showed high value on the honey sample from honey producer. Honey bee producer showed significant higher values of fructose 39.36a±4.21, glucose 31.22a±2.19, while sucrose 3.22a±0.25, glucose/water 2.11b±0.17 was lower among the honey sample from honey producer. The honey sampled from the honey producers shows significant value of mineral content compare to other source. The study showed no significant differences P>0.05. The honey samples from honey producers and supermarkets possess some nutritional quality that can be used as supplement for humans. Therefore, the study recommends highly that more studies should be carried out to ascertain the level of involvement on the method of processing honey.
