Sánchez-Durán, S., Sánchez-Sánchez, J., & Sánchez-Reyes, E. (2025). Sensory Studies. In Bee Products–Chemical and Biological Properties (pp. 19-46). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
[EN]Honey is a natural food with significant nutritional and medicinal bene
fits, whose properties depend on the flora and environment where it is produced. Sensory analysis is crucial to assess its quality, considering aspects such as color, aroma, taste, and texture. In addition to physicochemical and pollen analyses, organoleptic analysis helps verify the authenticity of honey, especially monofloral honeys. This product has a positive impact on the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting beekeeping and protecting pollinators. The sensory analysis process of honey is divided into different phases to evaluate its organoleptic attributes, including both qualitative and quantitative methods, using hedonic or intensity scales to measure sensory attributes. This process requires several stages in order: preparation, visual evaluation, olfactory evaluation, taste evaluation, tactile evaluation, and finally, the recording and processing of the results obtained. These sensory analyses are fundamental in the food industry as they allow us to understand how the senses influence the consumer experience. In the case of honey, educational tastings are an excellent way to explore the wide variety of honey types and promote the appreciation of its quality. These activities also provide networking opportunities and contribute to social responsibility, while raising awareness about the importance of pollinators.
