## 3 Results  
### Physicochemical Characterization of Honey Samples  
Table 2 shows the results obtained for each type of honey with mean \(\pm\) SD and minimum and maximum value. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c} \hline
**Physochemical** & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Sweet Cherry**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Thyme**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Almost**} \\ \cline{2-10}
**Parameters** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Min** & **Max** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Min** & **Max** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Min** & **Max** \\ \hline HMF (mg/kg) & 21.59 \(\pm\)2.10 & 19.01 & 24.39 & 8.64 \(\pm\) 1.74 & 5.86 & 10.97 & 12.41 \(\pm\) 1.61 & 10.09 & 14.29 \\ \hline aw & 0.61 \(\pm\) 0.07 & 0.47 & 0.7 & 0.62 \(\pm\) 0.08 & 0.51 & 0.71 & 0.55 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 0.49 & 0.62 \\ \hline Electrical conductivity (ms/cm) & 0.54 \(\pm\) 0.09 & 0.4 & 0.64 & 0.44 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 0.39 & 0.49 & 0.5 \(\pm\) 0.07 & 0.42 & 0.65 \\ \hline Moisture content (\%) & 16.47 \(\pm\) 0.32 & 16 & 16.92 & 16.18 \(\pm\) 0.87 & 15.13 & 17.11 & 14.87 \(\pm\) 0.52 & 14.3 & 15.7 \\ \hline pH & 4.05 \(\pm\) 0.07 & 3.88 & 4.09 & 4.11 \(\pm\) 0.17 & 3.87 & 4.32 & 4.58 \(\pm\) 0.16 & 4.32 & 4.77 \\ \hline \multicolumn{10}{c}{**D**astatic index values (Schade number)} & 20.86 \(\pm\) 5.94 & 11.4 & 31.2 & 30.33 \(\pm\) 4.66 & 25.6 & 38.33 & 23.2 \(\pm\) 5.49 & 15.2 & 30.4 \\ \hline \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Encyclurgues**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Corander**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Comflower**} \\ \cline{2-10}
**Parameters** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Min** & **Max** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Min** & **Max** & **Mean \(\pm\) SD** & **Min** & **Max** \\ \hline HMF (mg/kg) & 28.94 \(\pm\) 6.83 & 16.02 & 39.14 & 4.14 \(\pm\) 1.3 & 2.31 & 5.72 & 21.52 \(\pm\) 1.15 & 20.18 & 24.18 \\ \hline aw & 0.6 \(\pm\) 0.05 & 0.51 & 0.67 & 0.47 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 0.42 & 0.52 & 0.59 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 0.51 & 0.64 \\ \hline Electrical conductivity (ms/cm) & 0.74 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 0.65 & 0.78 & 0.33 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 0.3 & 0.37 & 0.5 \(\pm\) 0.05 & 0.43 & 0.59 \\ \hline Moisture content (\%) & 16.29 \(\pm\) 0.41 & 15.79 & 17.01 & 17.31 \(\pm\) 0.4 & 16.6 & 17.8 & 17.88 \(\pm\) 0.43 & 17.4 & 18.5 \\ \hline pH & 4.05 \(\pm\) 0.16 & 3.88 & 4.43 & 4.69 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 4.66 & 4.72 & 4.44 \(\pm\) 0.14 & 4.27 & 4.68 \\ \hline \multicolumn{10}{c}{**D**astatic index values (Schade number)} & 25.65 \(\pm\) 4.07 & 17.8 & 31.4 & 17.3 \(\pm\) 3.6 & 10.4 & 22.6 & 19.05 \(\pm\) 4.95 & 11.2 & 26.4 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Mean (and standard deviation), minimum and maximum values of the HMF; aw, electrical conductivity, moisture content, pH and diastatic index value of the Italian honey samples. The physicochemical parameters assessed in honey samples (i.e., HMF, electrical conductivity, moisture content, diastase) were in compliance with the composition criteria for honey fixed in Council Directive 2001/110/EC [39] relating to honey. HMF is derived from the decomposition of fructose in acid conditions. In honey it can be used as a good marker of heating and storage time at elevated temperatures [42]. None of the samples analyzed had values of HMF higher than the maximum limit of 40 mg/kg permitted by European standards [39]. The electrical conductivity of the honey is a parameter linked to mineral salts, ash, complex sugars, organic acids and proteins concentration, and is strongly influenced by the floral origin. The value set in Council Directive 2001/110/EC [39] is no more than 0.8 mS/cm, with some exceptions (e.g., in honeydew honey, no less than 0.8 mS/cm). In the analyzed honeys very different values were found, ranging between 0.09 and 0.7 mS/cm (respectively for citrus and eucalyptus), owing to the different origins of the samples, and between 0.83 and 1.31 mS/cm for honeydew honey. The moisture content is a parameter that strongly influences the shelf life of honey and some organoleptic characteristics, such as viscosity and palatability.