International trade in bees and bee products is a complex issue, affected bytheir different origins and uses. The trade in bees, which poses the main risk for disease dissemination, is very active and not all transactions may be officially registered by the competent authorities. Globally, bee health continues to deteriorate as pathogens, pests, parasites and diseases are spread internationally...

Honey authenticity is defined by the Codex Alimentarius standard, the EU Honey Directive and several national legislations. The Codex and EU standards were recently revised. The authenticity of honey and other bee products have two aspects. Authenticity in respect of production i.e. to prevent adulteration by addition of other food ingredients by correct beekeeping practice and processing. The ...

We studied the concentrations of Cd, Ni, Pb, Fe, Mg, and Zn in multi-floral honey, propolis, bee pollen, and wax coming from apiaries situated in different locations in Małopolska Voivodeship in southern Poland. Honey contained the lowest concentrations of all the tested metals, with Cd and Pb concentrations well below allowable levels. Other products showed much higher contamination by Cd and ...

Bee venom contains a variety of peptides and enzymes, including serine proteases. While the presence of serine proteases in bee venom has been demonstrated, the role of these proteins in bee venom has not been elucidated. Furthermore, there is currently no information available regarding the melanization response or the fibrin(ogen)olytic activity of bee venom serine protease, and the molecular...

Honeybees produce honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee venom, bee pollen, and beeswax, which potentially benefit to humans due to the bioactives in them. Clinical standardization of these products is hindered by chemical variability depending on honeybee and botanical sources, but different molecules have been isolated and pharmacologically characterized. Major honey bioactives include phenolics, ...

The international trade in bee products is a complex issue as a result of the diverse uses of these products. This is especially true with regard to honey. In most cases, honey is imported for human consumption: the high purchase and shipping costs preclude the use of honey as feed for bees. For these reasons, the risk of transmitting disease through honey is minimal. However, this risk should ...