Produção artesanal de Hidromel a partir de Mel coletado na região Sul do Estado do Tocantins como uma fonte alternativa de renda para o Apicultor familiar.

Abstract

Beekeeping is an ancient technique that is directly linked to rural development. The production of honey, its derivatives and by-products provide benefits for rural and family farming. The embargo against Chinese honey in 2003 has led other countries to increase their exports, including Brazil, which in 2017 exported 3.0% of all honey produced. Among the products derived from honey the mead can be considered a product of high added value. Produced from the dilution of honey into water, mead can be considered the oldest alcoholic beverage in mankind. Its alcoholic strength varies from 8 to 18% (v/v This work aimed to produce artisanal mead from honey collected in the southern region of the State of Tocantins as an income alternative for the beekeeper. In Brazil, mead is still not widely known, unlike countries like Poland and Slovenia where the drink is popular. Mead trade has grown a lot in recent years in the US, from 30 stores in 2003 to 520 stores in 2017, which marketed the product. Produced from a simple fermentative process using yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the production of mead by beekeepers can generate a product with up to 300% profit in each unit produced. If production occurs following good manufacturing practices the mead is free of contaminant. The sensorial analysis was satisfactory and showed that independent of type of honey used for the production of the drink, a high acceptability was obtained by the tasters.