Good to know:
what is honey pollen used for?
Pollen analysis is a fundamental test for determining honey quality. It primarily serves to identify the type of honey, its origin, and to detect possible adulteration. Honey is one of the three most commonly adulterated food products in the world. Dishonest practices by some producers lower the health benefits of this bee product and can be harmful to our body.
Why pollen in particular is examined so thoroughly? First of all, pollen is found in every type of honey, it gets there “accidentally” when bees collect thenectar. Secondly, different varieties of honey are characterized by various levels of pollen content.
For example, “over-pollinated” honey (a type that doesn’t occur in Polish climatic conditions) includes honey from the sweet chestnut. To be labeled as such, it must contain at least 90% pollen from that particular plant. More commonly known varieties like rapeseed or heather honey
(normally pollinated honey) should have at least 45% pollen in the sediment. On the other hand acacia honey (under-pollinated honey) only needs a 20% pollen level, in accordance with the PN-88/A-77626 standard.
Course content
what do we teach in the pollen analysis course?
The course is divided into two sections, consisting of theory and practical sessions. The first part covers topics in melissopalynology – a branch of botany that focuses on studying the composition of pollen grains in various bee products. These pollen grains vary in size, shape, and surface texture. This knowledge will later help you distinguish between monofloral and polyfloral honeys, honeydew and nectar honeys, as well as genuine and fake honeys.
During the practical sessions, we’ll teach you how to prepare microscope slides, operate a basic microscope and a laboratory centrifuge, and independently analyze samples. We`ll show you how to perform amateur pollen analysis of honey in your own beekeeping workshop at minimal cost. You’ll also learn how to search for pollen in online databases (such as www.paldat.org). There is also an option to extend the course with exercises in photomicrography.
Participants
Who will benefit from this knowledge?
Our course is designed for both beginner and more experienced beekeepers. The knowledge you gain will help you identify the type of honey you’re harvesting.
Learning to use a microscope will also be useful for other observations in the apiary. We’ll be happy to welcome honey enthusiasts who don`t own an apiary but are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the quality and types of honey.
