The application of Taguchi method to determine the optimum blend of unifloral honeys to most closely match thyme honey quality

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of four blossom honey types (orange, chestnut, heather and cotton) on a group of quality characteristics of thyme-type based mixture preparations. Mixture ratios were prepared at 0%, 50% and 100% per blossom honey-type and then were blended with thyme honey in parts 1:1. The melissopalynological, sensory and physicochemical quality characteristics for each blend were monitored. A three-level, four-factor orthogonal array according to the Taguchi method was utilised to plan the experiments maintaining the thyme component as a 'slack-variable' to contain the number of performed trials. Subsequent anova treatment revealed that only a pure orange-type blend favours the simultaneous maximisation of aroma ( P  < 0.05) and the minimisation of electrical conductivity ( P  < 0.05). Finally, there was a significant effect of chestnut-type blend content on microscopical and physicochemical characteristics ( P  < 0.05), nevertheless, their corresponding signal-to-noise ratios are maximised only at a concentration of zero value.