Aroma Compounds

Abstract

Recently, honey has drawn significant attention from the scientific community because of its medicinal value. The characteristic aroma of honey is attributed to the volatile organic compounds present in it. This chapter discusses the chemical classes of aroma compounds and their occurrence in honey. Besides ensuring organoleptic characterization, aroma compounds in honey have been implicated in honey's identity, quality, bioactivity, and toxicity. The chapter focuses on these attributes of honey's aroma compounds. Volatile and semi-volatile compounds are primarily responsible for the fragrance of honey. The floral origin of honey is an important characteristic in the evaluation of honey's quality. The aroma profile of the honey can also be optimized in the determination of the geographic origin of honey. The honey aromatic compounds include both physiological active compounds as well as toxic compounds.