Colour of honey: can we trust the Pfund scale? – An alternative graphical tool covering the whole visible spectra

Honey is popular and versatile nutraceutical product, widely used as a sweetener. Its sensory properties, determined by the botanical origin, play a high role in consumers’ decision. Among these, colour is an important, often price-defining property. Colour evaluation of honey can be done by different ways, the most commonly known being the Pfund scale, but Lovibond scale or spectral analysis are used as well. The Pfund method provides a specific evaluation scale for honeys, however, this method is not able to detect slight differences and it also has some deficiencies. Our aim was to provide some examples proving the shortages of the present methodology for determination of honey colour and suggest a solution that could qualify as a possible standardized method. A template providing all the calculations (Pfund value, L*a*b*, C*ab, h°ab, ΔE*ab, ΔC* ab, Δh*ab, ΔH*ab, ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*) based on the UV-VIS transmission spectra, comparing the results of honey samples is attached. The experiment revealed the drawbacks of the Pfund scaling system. We provide an alternative analytical method that can deliver more details and information on honey colour and could overcome the deficiencies of the present protocols. [Display omitted] •Honeys from different botanical origins have been examined.•Colour was measured by transmittance spectroscopy.•Excel template has been prepared to calculate Pfund, CIE L*a*b*, C*ab, h°ab and ΔEab values.•Errors and lacks of Pfund scale have been revealed and supported by examples.•Transmittance measurement can provide a more accurate colour analysis of honey.