Rodrigo Pizarro

Implementation de un panel sensorial para mieles chilenas

La evaluacion sensorial de los alimentos permite establecer la calidad de los productos desde el punto de vista de sus atributos. La miel no escapa a esta evaluacion y el analisis sensorial de aromas de miel se utiliza en Europa desde hace varios anos y se ha comenzado a efectuar en algunos paises sudamericanos como Uruguay y Argentina. Sin embargo, actualmente no se practica en Chile. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue lograr una primera aproximacion al analisis sensorial de mieles en Chile. Esto se realizo preparando un panel de evaluacion sensorial. Hubo catorce sesiones de entrenamiento, orientadas a desarrollar la capacidad de reconocimiento de estandares aromaticos y el poder discriminatorio de muestras de miel utilizando distintos descriptores aromaticos. Al termino de este periodo de entrenamiento el panel estuvo en condiciones de realizar la evaluacion formal mediante el metodo de analisis descriptivo cuantitativo (QDA). Posteriormente se realizo un analisis de componentes principales con los descriptores, lo que permitio confeccionar un mapa sensorial de las muestras de mieles y elaborar el perfil de las mismas. El analisis establecio perfiles aromaticos particulares para cada muestra, destacando por sus caracteristicas sensoriales mas disimiles las mieles monoflorales de quillay (Quillaja saponaria), ulmo (Eucryphia cordifolia) y corontillo (Escallonia pulverulenta). Los resultados de este panel sensorial representan un primer logro para la implementacion de estrategias de largo plazo que permitan tener herramientas objetivas para la caracterizacion aromatica de mieles chilenas

Aplicación de la Norma Chilena Oficial de denominación de origen botánico de la miel para la caracterización de la producción apícola

AbstractG. Montenegro, M. Gomez, J. Diaz-Foriester, and R. Pizarro. 2008. Application of the Chilean Of fi cial Standard to desi gnate the botanical ori gins of honey for the characterization of the apicultural production. Cien. Inv. Agr. 35(2):181-190. Chilean apicultural production is characterized by a great variety of honey types with a high percentage of nectar from native plant species. The proportion of nectar from native plants associated with the high endemism of the Chilean fl ora results in the production of hone ys with special characteristics. Approximatel y 95% of the honey produced in Chile is exported in bulk without added value and accounts for 1% of the world honey trade. The differentiation of Chilean honeys on the basis of their particular biological origins represents one way to improve their competitive value on the international market. The application of a traceability system and the establishment of the Chilean standard (NCh2881.Of2005), which determines the botanical origin of a given honey by a melissopalynological test, represent two important advances toward differentiation. In order to determine the botanical and geographical characteristics of Chilean honey, 240 honey samples from two consecutive harvesting seasons were studied using the recently approved norm. The results demonstrate that there are two main areas of production. The fi rst area has a Mediterranean climate (Chile’s Central zone, 30o to 36o S). The honeys produced there are endemic unifl oral and native multifl oral, and they represent diverse species. The second area transitions to a humid temperate climate (Central South zone of Chile 36o to 43o S), and the honey produced there includes native and non-native unifl oral and native multifl oral varieties with restricted botanical diversity.

Multivariate analysis of pollen frequency of the native species Escallonia pulverulenta (Saxifragaceae) in Chilean honeys

The aim of this work was the identification of geographic zones suitable for the production of honeys in which pollen grains of Escallonia pulverulenta (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. (Saxifragaceae) can be detected. The analysis of botanical origin of 240 honey samples produced between La Serena and Puerto Mont (the IV and X Administrative Regions of Chile), allowed the detection of pollen grains of E. pulverulenta in 46 Chilean honeys. The geographic distribution of the honeys studied is presented together with their affinities, through factor analysis and frequency tables. The study was based on the presence of E. pulverulenta pollen. Escallonia pulverulenta pollen percentages oscillated between 0.24% and 78.5%. Seventeen of the studied samples were designated as unifloral - i.e. samples showing more than 45% pollen of a determined plant species. Two of these corresponded to E. pulverulenta (corontillo, madrono or barraco) honeys. The remaining unifloral honeys correspond to 8 samples of Lotus uliginosus Schkuhr (birdsfoot trefoil), 2 samples of Aristotelia chilensis (Molina) Stuntz (maqui) and 1 sample of Escallonia rubra (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. (siete camisas), Eucryphia cordifolia Cav. (ulmo or muemo), Weinmannia trichosperma Cav. (tineo), Rubus ulmifolius Schott (blackberry) and Brassica rapa L. (turnip). Honeys with different percentages of E. pulverulenta pollen - statistically analyzed through correspondence analysis - could be associated and assigned to one of three geographic types, defined on the basis of this analysis. The geographical type areas defined were the Northern Mediterranean Zone (samples from the IV Region), Central Mediterranean Zone (samples from the V to the VIII regions including two samples of unifloral Escallonia pulverulenta honey), and Southern Mediterranean Zone (samples from the IX Region).