Environmental Variation in the Physicochemical and Microbiological Profile of Melipona mondury Honey in Eastern Paraná

Brazil hosts more than 300 stingless bee (SB) species, and its continental-scale environmental diversity results in highly heterogeneous SB honey. In the absence of federal or international regulations, scientific evidence is essential to support food safety and enable formal commercialization. This study evaluated the physicochemical and microbiological profile of nine Melipona mondury honey samples collected in two environments in eastern Paraná, Brazil: rural (n=4) and urban (n=5). Analyses included moisture, soluble solids, water activity (AW), free acidity, pH, color, coliforms, Salmonella spp., lactic acid bacteria (LAB), mesophilic microorganisms (MM), yeasts, and molds. Statistical analyses were performed in R using the Shapiro–Wilk and Mann–Whitney tests. One rural sample showed 9.2 MPN/mL of total coliforms, while all samples had ≤ 3 MPN/mL of thermotolerant coliforms and were negative for Salmonella spp. and molds. Significant differences were observed across parameters: soluble solids were higher in urban samples, whereas moisture, AW, and yeast counts were higher in rural samples. One rural sample presented moisture above 50% and AW of 0.78, associated with large honey pots (±50 mL), a natural characteristic that may favor fermentation. The low pH observed in both environments may limit the survival of pathogenic microorganisms. Four samples (three rural and one urban) exceeded the yeast limits established by Paraná state regulations for SB honey. The higher yeast counts observed in rural samples may be associated with their elevated moisture and water activity values. Overall, these findings indicate that this honey quality depends on interactions between ecological conditions and colony‑specific characteristics, highlighting the need for regulatory frameworks that avoid uniform criteria and better reflect the diversity of environments. However, the limited sample size restricts broader generalizations; therefore, further studies with a larger number of samples are necessary to improve the understanding of the specific characteristics of this species.