Description of the volatile fraction of Erica honey from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula

Heather honey is highly appreciated by consumers for its sensorial profile, which varies depending on the flora used by the honeybees. Volatile compounds contribute to these qualities. Characterisation of the volatile profile related to the botanical origin is of great interest for the standardization of unifloral honey. For this reason, 33 heather honey samples from northwest of the Iberian Peninsula were analysed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) to identify the key volatile compounds in this type of honey. The aim of this research was to provide a descriptive analysis of these compounds, and to find whether there is any relationship with the main Erica species. A total of 58 volatile organic compounds were found, with hotrienol, phenylacetaldehyde, and cis-linalool being the most abundant. A principal component analysis and Spearman's rank correlation showed the homogeneity of the volatile profile in the samples, and their close relationship with the main pollen types.

Automated summary

Heather honey is highly valued for its sensory profile, which is influenced by volatile compounds. This study analyzed 33 heather honey samples to identify key volatile compounds and found 58 organic compounds, with hotrienol, phenylacetaldehyde, and cis-linalool being the most abundant. The volatile profile showed homogeneity across samples and a close relationship with the main pollen types.