Previously considered of little commercial value because it is very dark, mastic honey produced in the northern region of Minas Gerais gained prominence after research indicated its therapeutic characteristics.
Now, honey from the North of Minas has received the registration of Geographical Indication, in the Denomination of Origin species, as published in issue 2665 of the Industrial Property Magazine .
With an average annual production of 450 tons, honey from Norte de Minas has phenolic compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action, which strengthens the immune system.
“This is the differential of our honey. We hope that with IG we can sell our honey with added value, develop products and services with Myracrodruon urundeuva aroeria. Develop tourism, natural remedies and market our products in the world. With this, we can preserve the aroeria and keep beekeepers and family farmers in the fieldâ€, explains the president of the Cooperativa dos Apicultores e Agricultores Familiares do Norte de Minas (Coopemapi), Luciano Fernandes, citing studies by the Ezequiel Dias Foundation and the Mineiro Institute. of Agriculture.
Aroeira honey gets its name because the bees extract resources from the Myracrodruon urundeuva plant, a type of mastic, predominant vegetation in dry forest regions, characterized by arid climate and low annual precipitation, in addition to soils with low acidity and high amounts of calcium.
But, in addition to this, another natural factor that contributes to the characteristics of this honey is the association of psyllid insects, known as aphids, in its leaves and flowers.
Trees harbor these insects at all stages of their life cycle (egg, nymph and adult). They suck the plant's elaborate sap and digest it and mature it in their body, excreting a sugary substance known as honeydew. The aphids, by sucking the plant sap, also induce the mastic to produce phenolic substances to protect itself, which are excreted by the plant in several of its organs, including nectaries and flowers.
This is how, when pollinating the aroeira-do-sertão, bees collect a nectar mixed with phenolic secretions produced near the nectaries, as well as the secretion excreted by aphids. Thus, honey produced from aroeira contains a high concentration of phenolic compounds and the presence of honey, unlike honey produced from other plant species, in which this last substance is absent.
In the North of Minas, there is a continuous area where there are particular edaphoclimatic conditions, the presence of the aroeira-do-sertão and its interspecific relationships, and the know-how of beekeepers, which provide the production of a honey with qualities and characteristics from the geographical environment.
Regarding natural factors, the North of Minas is located in a transition area between the Cerrado and Caatinga domains. This region concentrates large extensions of Dry Forests, characterized by arid climate, low annual precipitation and soils with low acidity and high amounts of calcium.
The Dry Forests of Northern Minas have plants adapted to water deficit and dry climate, among which the species Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão (aroeira-do-sertão) stands out.
The management techniques used by beekeepers are also differentiating factors, as they ensure the non-contamination of bees and honey from possible sources close to the apiary, such as confined animal breeding, waste and domestic effluents. In this way, the characteristics and qualities of honey from the North of Minas, especially the high content of phenolic compounds and the dark amber color, stand out. ■