Bee products (honey, royal jelly, freeze-dried powder, bee pollen) testing

There are many different testing methods for bee products (honey, royal jelly, freeze-dried powder, bee pollen), and each product has its own specific testing items and corresponding testing methods. The following is a detailed summary of these testing methods:

 

1. Testing methods for honey

Appearance quality inspection: Through visual observation, check whether the appearance of the honey is intact, whether the color is normal, whether there is no odor, mildew, etc.

Water solubility test method: Put a spoonful of honey into a cup of water, stir gently, and observe the dissolution of the honey. Real honey will form a certain amount of suspended matter and sediment.

Fire test method: Drop honey on the lit cotton and observe the burning of the flame and cotton. Real honey will make crackling sounds and the cotton will not burn.

Refrigeration test method: After putting the honey in the refrigerator for a period of time, observe whether it becomes thick and has signs of crystallization.

Sugar content test method: Use a saccharimeter to measure the sugar content of honey. The sugar content of real honey is usually around 75%.

Bee pollen content test method: The authenticity of honey can be determined by testing the bee pollen content in honey. Real honey usually contains a certain amount of bee pollen.

Microbial detection: Including total colony count detection, coliform detection, and mold detection to evaluate the hygiene of honey.

Pesticide residue and heavy metal residue detection: Use gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and other technologies to determine the content of pesticide residues and heavy metal residues in honey to determine the safety of honey.

2. Royal jelly detection method

Moisture detection: Observe the consistency and moisture content of royal jelly through methods such as bamboo chopstick pulling method.

PH detection: Use test paper or PH meter to determine the PH value of royal jelly to determine its storage time and quality.

Refractive index detection: Use Abbe refractometer to determine the refractive index of royal jelly to determine whether it is mixed with other refractive substances.

Microscope detection: Use a microscope to check whether there are impurities such as wax flakes and insect body fragments in royal jelly.

Surface tension test: Measure the surface tension of royal jelly to determine whether it is aged or deteriorated.

Adulteration test: Including tests such as adulteration with talcum powder, milk, starch or dextrin to determine whether the royal jelly is pure.

3. Freeze-dried powder detection method

Ingredient detection: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the active ingredients in the freeze-dried powder to ensure that its main ingredients remain active and meet the content indicated on the label. Common methods include high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS).

Moisture content determination: Karl Fischer titration or weight loss method is used to accurately determine the moisture content in freeze-dried powder.

Residual solvent detection: Use gas chromatography (GC) to detect residual organic solvents in freeze-dried powder, such as ethanol, methanol, acetone, etc.

Microbial limit detection: Including total colony count detection, mold , yeast detection and sterility inspection to ensure the safety of freeze-dried powder.

Physical property testing: including particle size, appearance, solubility, density and thermogravimetric analysis to evaluate the stability and use effect of freeze-dried powder.

4. Bee pollen testing methods

Microscope testing: can visually observe the morphological characteristics of pollen grains, which is the basic means to identify bee pollen from different plant sources.

Chemical method: based on the chemical properties of the substance, the content of the target component in the sample is determined through a specific chemical reaction. For example, spectrophotometry can quickly determine the protein concentration in bee pollen; titration rules are often used to detect indicators such as acidity or alkalinity.

Biological identification method: use biological characteristics to identify the authenticity and quality of bee pollen. Immunological detection rules use the principle of specific binding of antibodies and antigens to achieve high-sensitivity detection of specific components.

Spectroscopy and mass spectrometry: obtain information by measuring the absorption or emission spectrum and molecular weight distribution of substances. Advanced equipment such as spectrometers and mass spectrometers not only improve detection efficiency, but also greatly expand the detection range.

In summary, the detection methods of bee products cover multiple aspects, including appearance quality, physical and chemical properties, microbial indicators, nutritional components, and safety. These testing methods together constitute a complete system for bee product quality control, providing strong protection for consumer health and market regulations.