Honey as a Potential Preservative in the Food Industry

Honey has been recognized worldwide as a highly nutritive food used widely in the food industry as a natural food preservative. Several studies have reported that it is associated with anti-browning, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial properties, which offer scope for its applications in food industries. Honey has the potential to restrict the growth of various food spoilage bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella species, thereby preventing food contamination. This antibacterial property of honey is attributed to its high sugar content, hydrogen peroxide formation and proteinaceous compounds. Several lines of evidence have reported that commercial milk samples stored at 4 °C in the presence of honey restrict opportunistic bacterial growth compared to those stored in the absence of honey. This antibacterial property and preservative nature of honey improve the quality and shelf life of various food products. Furthermore, the preservative potential of honey is demonstrated by its prevention of lipid oxidation and other deteriorative oxidative reactions, such as enzymatic browning of fruits and vegetables. The present study emphasizes the antibacterial properties of honey along with its effectiveness as a natural food preservative in the food industry.