The honey color is a determinant factor to its acceptance in world market, and the brightest ones are preferred by consumers. The color of this product is related to botanical origin, processing, storage, climatic factors during the nectar flux and the temperature inside the hive. The color of samples of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) honey was determined with the objective of contributing to Brazilian honey characterization. The samples were collected directly from apiculturists of six Brazilian States: 173 from Bahia State, 21 from Tocantins State, 38 from Ceará State, 52 from Piauí State, 42 from Minas Gerais State and 20 from Santa Catarina State. The analysis were realized in the Laboratório de Apicultura of the Departamento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agrícola of ESALQ, USP, at Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The analysis were performed in spectrophotometer with 560nm in 1 cm cell, using glycerin as blank control. Three replications of each sample were done. The average value was converted in color by Pfund scale (VIDAL e FREGOSI, 1984). The total of 346 honey samples from six Brazilian States, 44.52 % was bright amber and 17.05 % extra bright amber, totalizing 61.57 % of the samples. The Brazilian honeys in this majority are bright honey.
Color of Apis mellifera L. honey samples from different Brasilian States/ Cor de amostras de mel de Apis mellifera L. de diferentes Estados Brasileiros