The Federal Agromediterranean Institute completed the process of accreditation of the laboratory method for determination of relative frequency of pollen in honey, with which it became the first accredited institution in BiH that is authorized for this type of analysis of honey made of acacia, linden, sage, chestnut, heather and thyme.
With this accreditation, the Institute could become the main point and open opportunities for a large export of honey from BiH to the international market. Besides the improvement of conditions for exports of honey from BiH, this type of analysis will also be very important for the control of honey imported to our market.
Pollen analysis is the only method to determine the number and type of pollen grains, based on which they can make proper declaration of honey. Honey is declared as varietal on the basis of the type and number of pollen grains.
For example, it is 25 % in linden honey, 85 % in chestnut honey, 20 % in acacia honey, etc. Pollen grain is unique for every plant just like the human fingerprint. Together with the chemical, pollen analysis is also used to determine fake honey, and it can also be used for determining the geographic origin of honey. The honey that originates from one plant has a higher commercial value than mixed honey.
Declarations of varietal honey are regulated by the Regulation on honey and other bee products, but now, it will be possible to perform accredited pollen analysis of honey in BiH for the first time. The USAID / Sweden FARMA II Project offered the support to the staff of the Federal Agromediteranian Institute within the preparation of procedures that ensure the highest standards in this area.
(Source: klix.ba)