Forest Honey,, Health and Nutrition - Madhu Duniya 2

Forest Honey,
Health and Nutrition

Published in 2012
by: JMHI/Dian Niaga/NTFP-EP, Jakarta/Pontianak.
All rights reserved
Edited by: Jenne de Beer
Cover and graphic design: Wahyu Widhi
Printed in Indonesia
Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition
symposium publication
Contents
Acknowledgements
1.
Jenne de Beer, Ma Cristina Guerrero & Heri Valentinus: General Introduction
2.
Jenne de Beer: Different Honeys, Different Issues: an Overview
3.
Siti Amrah Sulaiman: The Potential Health Benefits of Tualang Honey, Based On
Recent Research Findings
4.
Chanpen Chanchao: Bioactivities of Bee Products in Thailand
5.
Phung Huu Chinh & Le Quang Trung: The Nutritional Value of Bee Pollen and
the Best Ways to Handle and Preserve the Same
6.
Surendra Raj Joshi: International Standards for Honey: An Issue of Inclusiveness
7.
Johnny Utama: From Forest gate to Sophisticated Market: the Flow of Apis
dorsata honey in Indonesia
8.
Robert Leo: Traditional Uses of Honey in Southern India
9.
Pandurang Hegde: Honey Laundering: the Impact on Health and Nutrition
Acknowledgements
We thank the authors, who all spent valuable time on reworking their symposium
talks into book chapters. We want in particular to thank the contributors from the
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and Universiti Sains, Kelantan - with whom
we had the happy occasion to link up with for the first time and learn about the
advanced research at their respective academic institutions.
We are also especially grateful to Surendra Raj Joshi from Nepal, who because of
an acute health issue, was unable to attend the symposium, but who nevertheless,
from a distance, contributed fully, providing key information around the time of the
Bogor event and a very fine book chapter immediately afterwards.
A great many individuals further contributed to the successful convening of the
symposium in Bogor and feed-back provided was incorporated in the eventual text
of several chapters in this publication.
Special thanks to Director Johnny Utama and staff of Dian Niaga, and also to staff of
Riak Bumi and NTFP-EP who took care of the flawless logistics for the symposium
and to Dian Niagas freelance design artist Wahyu Bek Widhi, who took charge of
lay out and graphic design.
Finally, the symposium and subsequent publication were made possible thanks
to financial support from Both ENDS, Oxfam Hongkong, the Ford Foundation and
Cordaid.
General Introduction
Jenne de Beer , Ma. Cristina Guerrero & Heri Valentinus
1
This little book originates from a one-day scientific symposium on Forest Honey,
Health & Nutrition, which took place in the Botanical Gardens of Bogor, Indonesia
on September 19 2011.
th
The symposium, a first, was organized by the Forest Honey Network Indonesia
(JMHI), together with Dian Niaga Jakarta and in close collaboration with the NTFP
Exchange Programme for South & Southeast Asia (NTFP-EP).
The scientific gathering, with speakers and participants from seven Asian countries notably India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines
- was part of a larger Madhu Duniya event . The latter is an informal regional forest
honey network, which first came together in Andhra Pradesh (India) in November
2007 and which aims to offer a platform for Apis dorsata honey collectors and
their supporters for a pressure cooker exchange of ancient traditions, global
developments, as well as of new approaches and appropriate technologies. The
Madhu Duniya-2011s follow-up event took place in Ujung Kulon National Park,
Banten.
4
Meanwhile, in view of the relevance and high quality of symposium contributions

and in order to reach a larger audience, it was decided to subsequently produce the
publication at hand.
The aim of the publication is to share up-to-date information on the nutrition and
health benefits of honey, pollen and propolis, produced by Asian bees foraging in
forests, in particular the species Apis dorsata and, to a lesser extent, stingless bees
of the genus Trigona. In addition, the context of wider issues affecting forest honeys
position as a niche product, as well as factors influencing the condition of the bees,
are also addressed.
This publication may also serve as a reference to the many lovers of forest honey,
as the latter are today more discriminate with regards to the food they consume.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Advisor Forest Foods, NTFP-EP, Quezon City

Ma Cristina Guerrero, Executive Director NTFP-EP, QC
Heri Valentinus, Director Riak Bumi and Coordinator JMHI, Pontianak
Participants were also expected from Bangladesh and Nepal, but they were unable to make it in time.
Honey World in (originally) Farsi/Sanskrit.
Different Honeys, Different Issues: an Overview

Jenne de Beer
Advisor Forest Foods, NTFP-EP, Quezon City, Philippines
I. Introduction
In much of Asia wild gathered forest honey produced by a range of bees has since
long been a sought after good for health delicacy.
The focus of this chapter is on issues in relation to the bee species Apis dorsata , the
primary forest honey producer in Asia. For comparison, some issues with respect
to the European hybrid A. mellifera will also be addressed. Furthermore, special
consideration is given to recent development in the framework of the Madhu Duniya
network.
1
II. Production Base
Apis mellifera
The species has been introduced to tropical Asia and is managed through box hive
beekeeping. The bees are believed to be unable to go feral and survive on their own
in this region.
Currently the bees are worldwide affected by Colony Collapse syndrome (CCS),
a phenomenon, which became first manifest in the USA during the winter of
2006/2007 and which has lead to wide spread dying of bee colonies. The causes are
complex and not yet fully understood, but it involves the spreading of mite-borne
viruses, as well as the negative effects of exposure to insecticides, miticides and
fungicides (either harmful individually or in combination) on the bees condition .

2
Apis dorsata
The species cannot be domesticated and occurs only in the wild .
3
1.
2.
3.
Other Asian Apis species, foraging in forests, are cerana, florea, nigrocincta, koschevnikovi, andreniformus and
laboriosa. Forest honey is also harvested from stingless bees, e.g. of the genus Trigona.
Information Gard Otis, presentation during the International Conference on Beekeeping Development and Honey
Marketing, Hanoi, Oct. 30 Nov. 1, 2010.
A light form of management however is possible, particularly in wetland areas, through a rafter (Tikung) system,
where the bees are enticed to choose attractive nesting locations on artificial branches. See further: JMHI (2006)
Forest Honey Manual, Technical & Quality Improvement of Forest Honey in Danau Sentarum National Park.
Pontianak/Jakarta.
No transmissions of the above mentioned mite-borne diseases to A. dorsata bees

have been reported and perhaps the lack of interaction between A. dorsata and
potential vector A. Melifera, in combination with the bees strong hygienic response
to mites, may save them of the scourge .
4
Nevertheless, the species is under pressure too, primarily because of dwindling

habitats, as a consequence of rampant forest degradation and conversion. Hive
condition appears also affected by a higher frequency of extreme weather events
(reported by honey collectors e.g. for several locations in Indonesia and the
Philippines) and likely related to climate change.
Destructive harvesting practises definitely often do play a role as well.
In order to address the latter, by now sustainable harvesting practices have been
introduced throughout the Madhu Duniya network. An important element in the
shift to sustainability is the acceptance of a rule that only the honey part of a hive
should be cut, hence leaving the brood part behind on the branch. However, in order
to cut the hive carefully, those collectors who traditionally harvest in the dark at
night, will have to shift to carrying out the same in broad day light. The down side
of this is, that the bees will react more forcefully to the disturbance of the hive and
stronger smokers than used previously may have to be introduced. Nevertheless,
after occasional early objections, eventually, most harvesters do adopt this system.
In addition, organized honey collectors also play an increasingly active and visible
role in the forest (and bee) conservation effort .
5
III. Demand/Consumption
Apis mellifera
The total volume of honey produced is huge, while most, including honey used for
industrial purposes (bakery products for example), is sold in bulk and at fairly low
prices. However, some branded honeys fetch top dollar. However, the sector is now
struggling with quality issues related to the problems mentioned above, in particular
with the occurrence of antibiotic and chemical residues in the product. Today, the
antibiotics are widely applied in an attempt to fight off infectious CCS diseases . As
for the chemicals, e.g. a recent study carried out in the USA found traces of no less
than 98 (!) different insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and miticides (the latter used
to control Varoa mites) in pollen samples .
6
4. See B. Oldroyd & S. Wongsiri (2006) Asian Honey Bees: Biology, Conservation and Human Interactions, pp. 23-24, for a
discussion of this aspect.
5. See for example: JMHI, Dian Niaga, NTFP-EP (2008) Forest Honey & Forest Conservation: What is the Link?, DepHut,
Jakarta.
6. Antibiotics are sometimes also administered as growth enhancer.
7. Gard Otis, presentation during the international conference on beekeeping development and honey marketing, Hanoi,
Oct. 30 Nov. 1, 2010. For the issue of antibiotics in honey, see chapter Honey Laundering: the Impact on Health &
Nutrition in the publication at hand.
Apis dorsata
Apart from household consumption , the honey is traditionally sold at the village
gate, along roads and in wet markets, typically in used (for example beer or soy
sauce) bottles, while adulteration is rampant.
8
Now, with newly acquired quality standards through Madhu Duniya partner
interventions , and building on traditional food preferences in the region, its niche
is expanding and demand is significantly up.
9
A strong point in relation to health and nutrition is the fact that it concerns an
authentic beyond organic natural product, which:

Is free of pesticides, chemical antibiotics and other additives;
comes from a clean (forest) environment;
is derived from a great variation of nectar sources.
IV. Recognition, Research & Support
Apis mellifera
International quality standards (see further below) have been designed with this
type of honey in mind. The research base is very large albeit these days efforts
appears largely directed at the diseases threatening the bees survival.
10
Product promotion is overall strong and sustained take for example New Zealands
branded Manuka honey - while the support infrastructure for A. mellifera beekeeping
is very substantial and is provided by government and development agencies, as
well as by a large industry that, over the years, has grown around this product.

8. On the subsistence level, honey is commonly consumed in a mix of larvae and pollen. The mixture provides an
exceptional rich nutritional food bomb.
9. Hygienic handling techniques have been introduced in many sites including the use of filters instead of hand-squeezing
to separate honey and wax. Furthermore, strict rules have been set to prohibit adulteration with sugar/water or inferior
types of honey and honey collectors now take pride in guaranteeing the purity of the product.
10. See Oldman & Wongsiri, p. 249.
Apis dorsata
The EU defines honey as the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees.
But the definition of honeybee is subsequently narrowed to one that excludes all
species, expect for A. mellifera. As a consequence, even the best grades of dorsata
honey, incredibly, cannot be sold in the E.U for what it undeniably is: pure bee
honey
The Codex Alimentarius (food standards developed by FAO/WHO) is better as it, in
principle, covers all honey bees. (But not stingless bees!) However, standards, last
revised in 2001, are set on the basis of extensive research carried out on A. mellifera
honey, particularly in Europe and other temperate regions. But the norms, e.g. for
water content and HMF, do not at all provide for the specific characteristics of the
honey produced by A. dorsata and other Apis species .
11
Meanwhile, funding for research is minimal, while technical assistance and other
support, until very recently, likewise have been practically non-existent.
Only since partners in the Madhu Duniya network, with critical backstopping and
training provided by pioneers BRDC (Vietnam) and Keystone (India), were able to
fully dedicate themselves to the challenges,
things began to change for the better.
V. Conclusion
Great progress has been made over the last

decade or so in promoting A. dorsata forest
honey development, bee conservation and
sustainable management.
Still, the threats to the resource base are
unabated and there is certainly room for
further improvements. But one is hopeful
in light of the steady growth in interest for
this excellent specialty food and the small
creatures who produce it.
11. See further chapter Surendra Joshi International Standards

for Honey: An Issue of inclusiveness.
THE POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF TUALANG

HONEY BASED ON RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS
Siti Amrah Sulaiman
Coordinator for Traditional & Complementary-Integrative Medicine
Research School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia
16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, MALAYSIA
Introduction
Bee hive products such as honey, bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, propolis and bee
venom have long been known to humans as agents that heal, nourish and protect
the body. These products provides macro and micronutrients, improve the body
immune system, have high antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities, have
antimicrobial properties and are capable of improving the blood circulation. Honey
has been used for centuries as food and medicine while many religious books refer
to its medicinal properties.
Traditionally honey is used for its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiinflammatory, anticancer, analgesics, antipyretics, immune enhancers, aphrodisiac,
anti-ageing and treatment for infertility. It has long been used for wound dressing,
preservatives and antiseptic.
Research on Tualang honey at Universiti Sains Malaysia
The huge health potentials of honey have attracted many researchers to explore the
medicinal properties of this unique sweet bee hive product. Recently researchers at
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) have conducted several studies on Tualang honey
AgroMas, Malaysia. Most of the research findings on AgroMas Tualang honey have
been presented during the 1st and 2nd International Conferences on the Medicinal
Use of Honey. Both conferences were organized by the Universiti Sains Malaysia honey
research team members in June 2006 and January 2010, respectively at Kota Bharu,
Kelantan, Malaysia. The abstract of papers presented during the first conference
are available in the website of Honey Science Network and the abstracts for the
second conference have been kindly published on line by Journal of ApiProduct and
ApiMedical Science (JAAS) in Volume 2, Issue 1 (2010). Some of the research findings
have also been published in various international scientific journals.
Tualang honey AgroMas, studied by the USM researchers, was provided by the
Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), a government agency responsible
for marketing the Malaysian Tualang honey. The wild Apis dorsata bees built their
hives high up on the Tualang tree (Koompassia excelsa) in the Malaysian rain forest.
They are collecting nectar from various origins and producing a light-dark yellow
multifloral honey. FAMA is responsible in ensuring the quality of AgroMas Tualang
honey in accordance with Malaysian honey standard.
9
Tualang honey has been clinically evaluated and used in diabetic and burn wound
dressing at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Most
patients favor the use of honey as dressing compared to usual standard dressings
as honey cleanse, heals, produces pleasant smell, reduces pain and inflammation
and prevents the adherence of the gauze over the wound. Tualang honey is also
being used regularly for the prevention of radiation mucositis among patient with
nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Research on the use of honey for dressing in full thickness
burn wound in rat animal models reveals that Tualang honey impregnated dressings
were as effective as silver impregnated hydrofibre dressings in terms of dressing
properties, promotion of wound healing and inflammatory reaction. Honeys acidity
with high sugar content, together with the presence of furfural compounds and
hydrogen peroxide, are believed to contribute to its superior antibacterial properties.
Tualang honey AgroMas showed good antibacterial activity against several gram
positive and gram negative wound infections.
Tualang honey AgroMas contains high phenolics and flavonoids compounds as well
as having strong antioxidant and free radicals scavenging activities. Hence, it could
be useful for the management of free radical and oxidative stress related diseases.
Studies have shown that Tualang honey has a protective effect on testicular function
and reduces oxidative stress in rats exposed to cigarette smoke.
Studies done by our team on antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of AgroMas
Tualang honey in streptozotocin (STZ)-Induced Diabetic Rats reveals that Tualang
honey treated diabetic rats had significantly reduced blood glucose levels and a
slowdown of the progression of diabetic nephropathy, as compared with the diabetic
control group. Furthermore, Tualang Honey attenuated the changes in pancreatic
antioxidant enzymes in response to the generation of oxidants and offers additional
antioxidant effect to glibenclamide and metformin. In STZ-induced diabetic rats,
Tualang honey or a combination of Tualang honey, glibenclamide and metformin,
showed improvement on antioxidant markers when compared to a diabetic control
10
group, as well as, to diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide and metformin. Tualang
honey also increases the antioxidant capacity of the pancreas of STZ-induced diabetic
rats and reduces the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).
Tualang honey was shown to have beneficial effects on ovariectomised rats, a
model for postmenopausal women. Administration of Tualang honey for two weeks
to ovariectomised rats significantly increased the thickness of vaginal epithelium.
Tualang honey restores the morphology of the tibia bones compared to rats in the
ovariectomised control group. The levels of estradiol and progesterone, in honey
treated groups were markedly lower than that in the ovariectomised control group.
At low doses, Tualang honey increased the serum free testosterone levels. The
research findings in rat animal models showed that Tualang honey prevents uterine
atrophy and increase bone density.
In vitro cell culture indicates that Tualang honey has antiproloferative effects
against oral cancer cell lines. It is also reported to induce apoptosis and disrupt
the mitochondrial membrane potential in human breast and cervical cancer cell
lines. Our preleminary study in rats with 7,12-dimethylbenz()anthracene (DMBA)induced mammary carcinoma revealed that tumors in Tualang honey treated groups
had slower size increment and smaller mean tumor sizes, as compared to the control
group.
Finally, our preliminary clinical data show that Tualang honey was found to also be
able to influence the development of acute respiratory symptoms amongst the Hajj
pilgrims.
Conclusion
The data on animal studies so far indicate that Tualang honey has multiple health
benefits. However, many more clinical studies are required to explore and capture
the full range of potential benefits of Tualang honey for human beings.
11
List of References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Aptherapy Internet Course (http://www.apitherapy.com).

Erejuwa, O.O.; Sulaiman, S.A.; Wahab, M.S.; Sirajudeen, K.N.S.; Salleh, M.S.; Gurtu, S.
(2011). Comparison of antioxidant effects of honey, glibenclamide, metformin, and
their combinations in the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Int. J. Mol.
Sci., 12, 829-843.
Erejuwa, O.O.; Gurtu, S.; Sulaiman, S.A.; Ab Wahab, M.S.; Sirajudeen, K.N.S.; Salleh,
M.S. (2010). Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of honey supplementation in
streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Int. J. Vitam. Nutr. Res. 80, 74-82.
Erejuwa, O.O.; Sulaiman, S.A.; Wahab, M.S.; Sirajudeen, K.N.S.; Salleh, M.S.; Gurtu, S.
(2011), Glibenclamide or metformin combined with honey improves glycemic control
in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 7, 244-252.
Fauzi AN, Norazmi MN, Yaacob NS(2010). Tualang honey induces apoptosis and
disrupts the mitochondrial membrane potential of human breast and cervical cancer
cell lines. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 49(4):871-878
Ghashm A, Othman N, Khattak M, Ismail N, Saini R (2010): Antiproliferative effect of
Tualang honey on oral squamous cell carcinoma and osteosarcoma cell lines. BMC
Complementary and Alternative Medicin. 10:49.
Honey Science Network (http://www.honeynetwork.kk.usm.my/)
Kishore RK, Halim AS, Syazana MSN, Sirajudeen KNS. Tualang honey has higher
phenolic content and greater radical scavenging activity compared with other honey
sources. Nutrition Research 2011;31:322-325.
Mohamed M, Sirajudeen KNS, Swamy M, Yaacob NS, Sulaiman SA. Studies on the
antioxidant properties of Tualang honey of Malaysia. African Journal of Traditional,
Complementary and Alternative medicines 2010;7(1):59-63.
Mat Saad Arman Zaharil, Wan Azman Wan Sulaiman, Ahmad Sukari Halim, Mohd
Yussof Shah Jumaat and Jaafar Hasnan (2011). The Efficacy of Tualang Honey
in Comparison to Silver in Dressing Wounds in Rats. Journal of ApiProduct and
ApiMedical Science 3 (1): 45 53
Md. Ibrahim Khalil, Mahaneem Mohamed, Syed Mohsin Sahil Jamalullail, Nadia
Alam, Siti Amrah Sulaiman (2011). Evaluation of Radical Scavenging Activity and
Colour Intensity of Nine Malaysian Honeys of Different Origin. Journal of ApiProduct
and ApiMedical Science 3 (1): 04 11.
Siti Amrah Sulaiman, Habsah Hasan, Zakuan Zainy Deris, Mohd Suhaimi Abdul
Wahab, Ruhana Che Yusof, Nyi Nyi Naing and Nor Hayati Othman (2011). The Benefit
of Tualang Honey in Reducing Acute Respiratory Symptoms Among Malaysian Hajj
Pilgrims: A Preliminary Study Journal of ApiProduct and ApiMedical Science 3 (1):
38 44.
Siti SM Zaid, Siti A Sulaiman, Kuttulebbai NM Sirajudeen, Nor H Othman (2010). The
effects of tualang honey on female reproductive organs, tibia bone and hormonal
profile in ovariectomised rats - animal model for menopause. BMC Complementary
and Alternative Medicine. 10:82
Tan HT, Rahman RA, Gan SH, Halim AS, Hassan SA, Sulaiman SA, Kirnpal-Kaur
BS. The antibacterial properties of Malaysian Tualang honey against wound and
enteric microorganisms in comparison to manuka honey. BMC Complementary and
Alternative Medicine 2009;9:34-37.
12
Bioactivities of bee products in Thailand

Chanpen Chanchao
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University,
Phaya Thai Rd., Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand,
corresponding address: chanpen@sc.chula.ac.th
Bees are the insects, with which humans since long have been most familiar with.
People learnt to consume honey before 7,000 B.C., as we know due to a drawing
from the Mesolithic era, found on a cave wall in Spain. The picture presents a man
climbing to the top of a tall tree in order to hunt a bee hive. It is believed that people
knew how to consume honey for its sweetness long before they learned how to
obtain and consume sugar from plants such as coconut, sugar cane or ripe fruits
(Crane, 1975). Other than honey, interesting economic bee products are propolis,
royal jelly, wax, bee venom and bee pollen.
Thai people have known honeybees for a long time. Since the Sukho Thai era of the
country, the word of honeybee in Thai was at the beginning created to be one of
forty-four Thai letters. Also, Thai people have since long known how to apply honey
in traditional medicine (Wongsiri, 1989).
Honey can increase the income of the country quite well. In 2011, Rattanawannee
and Chanchao reported that although bees were distributed throughout Thailand,
there was not enough amount of honey to cover demand. Thus, we had to import
honey from abroad. It looked like that the demand to consume honey kept increasing.
In 2008, honey at 1.79 tons with the value of 0.41 million baht was imported to the
country. But in 2010, honey imports had already increased to more than 250 tons
with a total value of 8.57 million baht.
In Thailand, the diversity of honeybees is high. There are four native honeybees
which are Apis cerana, A. florea, A. dorsata, and A. andreniformis. Also, there is
one imported species, which is A. mellifera (Wongsiri et al., 2000). Besides, there
are more than 30 species of stingless bees. The one species that is mostly popular
managed in a fruit garden is Tetragonula laeviceps (Chanchao, in press). The
taxonomy of stingless bee is complex but the most unique character of each species
can be seen from the shape of its hive entrance (Figure 1).
Since the taste of stingless honey is bitter, it has been much more popular used in
traditional medicine than cooking. Other than honey, propolis of stingless bees has
been a miracle thing to use in traditional medicine as it will be mentioned later in
the article.
Most popular among consumers is the honey produced by the giant honeybee, A.
13
dorsata, and therefore this honey is the most expensive. Briefly, about this honeybee,
not only its body is the largest, but it also builds the largest hive as a single open
frame. They like hanging their hive on a branch of tall trees, an eve of a building, a
steep cliff, or even on a high water tank. Although it seems to be that this bee is the
most aggressive, it is the most attractive for bee hunters. The unique behavior of this
bee is that often a lot of colonies are aggregated in one bee tree (Figure 2).
In traditional medicine in Thailand, bee products from both stingless bee and
the giant honeybee can provide many bioactivities. For example, propolis of the
stingless bee Tetragonula laeviceps, both in the form of crude extract and partially
purified extract, can provide antiproliferative activity against five cancer cell lines
of colon cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, hepatic cancer, and breast cancer
(Umthong et al., 2011). In addition, both water and methanolic extracts of propolis
of the stingless bee has proven to present antimicrobial activity with the relative
order of sensitivity of four microbes from most to least sensitive, S. aureus > E.
coli >> C. albicans >>> A. niger (Umthong et al., 2009). Honey of both stingless bee
and the giant honeybee could provide the antimicrobial activity against the earlier
mentioned microorganisms (Chanchao, 2009a; b).
However, bioactivities of bee products also largely depend on external in particular
geographic - factors, since these affect the distribution of plants which are nectar
sources for the bees (Kujumgiev et al., 1999).
References

Chanchao, C. (2009a). Antimicrobial activity by Trigona laeviceps (stingless bee) honey

from Thailand. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences. 25(3): 364-369.
Chanchao, C. (2009b) Properties and antimicrobial activity of Apis dorsata honey from
Thailand. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences. 25(2): 313-318.
Chanchao, C. (2012). Bioactivities of honey and propolis fromTetragonula laeviceps

in Thailand, In: Pot Honey: A Legacy of Stingless Bees, P. Vit and S. R.M. Pedro,
(Ed.), Springer, New York, USA, in press.
Crane, E. 1975. Honey: A comprehensive survey. Heinemann (in coop. with IBRA),
London, U.K.
Kujumgiev, A., Tsvetkova, I., Serkedjieva, Y., Bankova, V., Christov, R., and Popov, S. (1999).
Antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activity of propolis of different geographic origin.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 64: 235-240.
Rattanawannee, A. and Chanchao, C. (2011). Bee Diversity in Thailand and the Applications
of Bee Products, In: Changing Diversity in Changing Environment,
14
O. Grillo and G. Venora, (Ed.), 133-162, InTech, ISBN 978-953-307-796-3, Vienna, Austria,
available
from:
http://www.intechopen.com/articles/show/title/bee-diversity-inthailand-and-the-applications-of-bee-products.
Umthong, S., Puthong, S., and Chanchao, C. (2009) Trigona laeviceps propolis from
Thailand: antimicrobial, antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities. The American Journal of
Chinese Medicine. 37: 855-865.
Umthong, S., Phuwapraisirisan, P., Puthong, S., and Chanchao, C. (2011) In vitro
antiproliferative activity of partially purified Trigona laeviceps propolis from Thailand
on human cancer cell lines. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 11: 37. doi:
10.1186/1472-6882-11-37
Wongsiri, S. (1989). Biology of honeybees. Ton-Or Co. Ltd, Bangkok, Thailand (in Thai).
Wongsiri, S., Chanchao, C., Deowanish, S., Aemprapa, S., Chaiyapong, T., Petersen, S.,
and Leepitakrat, S. (2000). Honeybee diversity and beekeeping in Thailand. Bee World.
81: 20-29.
Figure legends
Figure 1. The shape of hive entrance from

two different stingless bees (A and B).
Photo by Chanchao.
Figure 3. Bees like foraging of pollen

of (A) bitter bush or Siam weed
(Eupotorium odortum L.) and (B) Mexican
sunflower weed (Tithonia diversifolia).
Photo by Chanchao.
Figure 2. An aggregation of many

hives of the giant honeybees on one
bee tree in Nan province, Thailand.
The circle indicates the aggregation.
Photo by Chanchao.
15
Nutritional/health value of bee pollen and best

ways to handle and preserve
By Phung Huu Chinh and Le Quang Trung
Bee Research and Development Center
19-Truckhe, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
Bee pollen gathered by bees is the male seed of flower blossoms. While gathering
pollen, the bees use the pollen baskets on their hind legs to mix the pollen with
their own digestive enzymes and liquid into pollen granules, before transporting
these to their nest. Honeybees and stingless bees usually store pollen in comb-cells
or pots, where the pollen is mixed with honey and lactic-acid fermented to change
the normal granulated bee pollen into the state of beebread. Bee pollen especially
benefit the improvement of the health and fitness of human beings. This invaluable
nutrition has been used since ancient time and was well known to, for example, the
Chinese, Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. More recently, bee pollen, for its numerous
therapeutic properties, has been increasingly applied in new treatments of various
diseases as well.
Chemical composition of bee pollen
Bee pollen is composed of nutritionally valuable substances including protein,

carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals:

7-35% of protein, 25% of which is the complete protein.
About 5% and there are 32-36% of primarily simple sugars.
About a dozen of vitamins (B-vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E and powerful

phytochemicals (carotenoids and bioflavonoids) make the bee pollen a valuable
source of antioxidants.
About 28 minerals (the principal of K, Na, Ca, Mg, P, S), and various trace
elements (A1, B, C1, Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Ni, Si, Ti and Zn).
Hundred of enzymes or co-enzymes, 14 beneficial fatty acids, various growth

regulators (auxins, brassins, gibberellines, kinins), as well as growth inhibitors.
Human health benefits from bee pollen consumption
Bee pollen were already documented a long time ago as to offer various health
benefits, which both improve human health and treat numerous diseases and
illnesses. Some significant health improvements include digestive assimilation,
appetite, haemoglobin content, sexual prowess (Ridi et al., 1960). In addition, one
who consumes bee pollen could be cured from serious diseases such as male sterility,
anemia, high blood pressure, endocrine disorders, and prostate cancer (Ridi et al.,
16
1960; Sharma and Singh, 1980, Yao-Dong Wu & Yi-Jia Lou, 2007). Consumption of
bee pollen, however, may cause several minor site effects such as nausea, stomach
upsets or allergic reactions.
Collection, drying and storage of granulated bee pollen from
keeping bees
Granulated bee pollen is mainly collected by keepers of the European bee, Apis
mellifera, with a set of pollen trap and tray that is assembled in the entrance of
each hive. Pollen pellets are removed from pollen baskets of the worker bees
and dropped to the tray before the bees get through the pollen trap. Fresh bee
pollen contains high moisture content and must be dried to less than 10% just after
collection using a regular light bulb with capacity of 20W and 220V. For solar drying,
the pollen itself should be covered to avoid exposing to sunlight and overheating.
After drying, the pollen needs to be cleaned from all foreign matters. Like other
foods rich in protein, bee pollen rapidly loses its nutritional value when stored
incorrectly. Dietz (1975) suggested that when be dried to 5-10% of moisture content
under 40-45C, pollen can be kept at room temperature for several months.
Collection and storage of bee bread from wild bees
Pollen can also be harvested from Apis dorsata colonies, but only in the form of
bee bread. In an A. dorsata colony, bee bread is usually stored in large quantities
at the mouth part of their comb, which is between the honey and brood portions
(Figure 1A). Bee bread collectors can use a sharp knife to cut beebread part before
taking the honey portion. The bee bread of this giant bee has high value for human
health, because it is much more readily absorbed than granulated bee pollen. The
bee bread has already been processed by the bees for storage, with the addition
of various enzymes and honey, which subsequently ferments. (This type of lactid
acid fermentation is similar to that in yoghurts and renders the end product more
digestible and enriched with new nutrients.)
In addition, A. dorsata beebread is found free of heavy metals or pesticides, for the
bees collect pollen from such non-polluted places as mountainous areas, national
parks etc. However, so far, almost all bee bread from A. dorsata is wasted during
honey collection, meaning the loss of a lot of money.
In the case of bee bread from stingless bees, they usually store pollen in pots that
are separated and different in color from the brood pots. These pollen pots can,
therefore, be harvested without destroying the nest.
A further advantage of bee bread is that, when kept in a freezer or refrigerator, its
nutritional value will stay intact for a very considerable time.
Finally, for storage and to bring it to the market, bee bread ideally should be packed
in large-mouth bottles, in which it is mixed with honey (Figure 1B).
17
Figure1. Bee bread parts in Apis dorsata comb (A) and

bee bread storage (B)
References
Dietz, A. 1975. Nutrition of the adult honeybee. In: The
hive and the honeybee. Dadant & Sons, Hamilton, Ill.,
p.125-156
Dietz, A. and Stevenson, H.R. 1980. Influence of longterm storage on the nutritional value of frozen pollen
for brood rearing of honeybees. Apidologie, 11:143151
Photo by Phung Huu Chinh
Ridi, M.S. el, Mofty;, A. el, Khalifa, K. and Solimen, L. 1960. Gonado tropic hormones in pollen
grains of the date palm. Z. Naturf. 156(1): 45-49
Sharma, H.C. and Singh, O.P. 1983. Medicinal properties of some lesser known but important
bee products. Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Apiculture in Trop. Climates, IBRA, New Delhi, March 1980.
694-702.
Yao-Dong Wu and Yi-Jia Lou, 2007. A steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen
of Brassica campestris induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. Phytotherapy
Research, Vol. 21, Issue (11): 10871091
18
International Standards for Honey:

An Issue of Inclusiveness
Surendra Raj Joshi
Coordinator-Working Group on Asian Honeybees Honey
International Honey Commission
surendra.joshee@gmail.com
The Codex Alimentarius Commission has set certain constituents as quality criteria
for honey. These include moisture, sucrose content, fructose and glucose content,
water insoluble solids, diastase activity, HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), electrical
conductivity and contaminants of heavy metals and pesticide residues. The minimum
or maximum allowable limits are set for each of these criteria. For example, the
maximum permissible level of moisture content is < 20g/100 g for general honey
and <23g/100g for heather and other honey. Similarly, the HMF content of honey
after processing and/or blending shall not be more than 40 mg/kg. However, in the
case of honey of declared origin from countries or regions with tropical ambient
temperatures, and blends of these honeys, the HMF content shall not be more than
80 mg/kg.
The quality parameters and standard limits for honey are largely set on the basis of
extensive studies carried out on Apis mellifera honey and their nectar or honeydew
sources. With regards to permissible limit, there is some flexibility for certain unifloral
honey, but not for honey from different species of honeybees. However, a number
of reports from Asian countries suggest that the honey produced from different
flowers and by different bee species have some of their own specific properties.
This paper provides brief overview of moisture content and HMF in honey, as these
are widely used parameter in honey trade. It is believed that the good quality
honey essentially has low water content. The reason is that most honey contains
wild yeasts. Due to the high sugar concentration, these yeasts will pose little risk in
low moisture honey. But, in honey that has a higher proportion of water, the yeast
may survive and cause fermentation to begin in storage. This results an increase
of acidity. Similarly, the HMF is used as an indicator of heat and storage changes in
honey. It is formed by the breakdown of fructose in the presence of an acid. The
HMF occurs naturally in most honeys and usually increases with the age and heat
treatment of honey. In early days, it was used as an indicator of the adulteration of
honey with invert syrups (syrups of glucose and fructose). Cane sugar (sucrose) is
inverted by heating with a food acid, and this process creates HMF. However it
was quickly realized that heated natural honey also had higher levels of HMF and
therefore the interest switched from being an indicator of adulteration, to that of an
indicator of heating and storage changes. It has been reported that the occurrence
and accumulation of HMF in honey is variable depending on honey type.
19
In order to assess the situation better, the moisture and HMF content of honey
from Apis dorsata bees has been studied in Nepal. A total of 59 honey samples
were collected by cutting a piece of honeycomb directly from the colonies, and
samples were analyzed by following harmonized methods of the European Honey
Commission.
According to the findings, the moisture content of Apis dorsata honey ranged from
21 to 26g/100g with an average of 23.7g/100. The results confirm the earlier reports
(Joshi et al, 2000 and references therein): the honey produced by Apis dorsata bees
holds higher moisture content than the maximum allowable content set by the
Codex Alimentarius Commission. With regards to HMF, some honey samples contain
up to 92 mg/kg (56.1 mg/kg on average) HMF, which is quite high than the maximum
limit (40mg/kg) of CAC. Laude et al (1991) in the Philippines and Wakhle and Pal
(2000) in India also recorded a very high HMF content (90.6+198.1 mg/kg and 8
110 mg/kg respectively) for Apis dorsata honey.
Honey hunters and beekeepers often face the problems in selling Apis dorsata honey
or are offered very low price because of its higher moisture content and high HMF
content. However, the large companies and honey exporters process to dehydrate
and blend the honey and make a good profit. The standards set for moisture and
HMF content affect those poor honey gatherers/small traders who cannot afford a
dehydration machine or honey processing plant.
Against above backdrops and keeping in view the diversity of bees and floral
resources, it is suggested that the quality standard may be reconsidered. For
example, the limit of moisture content (20%) might be okay for Apis cerana and Apis
mellifera but it should be higher for Apis laboriosa and Apis dorsata honey. Similarly,
the limit of HMF may be set higher for Apis dorsata honey, as this bee species is
found in sub/tropical region of Asia. It should be noted that HMF is not a harmful
substance in levels found in food. Many food items sweetened with high fructose
corn syrups, e.g. carbonated soft drinks, can have levels of HMF between 100 and
1,000 mg/kg. It should also be noted that the honey produced in subtropical regions
to be well over 100 mg/kg in HMF, which is mostly due to the ambient temperatures
(over 35C) that honey comb is exposed to.
It is further suggested that the honey samples should be analysed from all bee
species and from different geographical areas and results used as a basis for setting
new species specific grade standards.
References
Joshi, S. R., Pechhacker, H., Von der Ohe, W., Willam, A. 2000. Physico-chemical Characteristics
of Apis dorsata, Apis cerana and Apis mellifera Honey from Chitwan District, Central Nepal. In
Apidologie 31:367-375.
Laude, VT; Nacgel, L; Horn, H (1991) Die Physiko-Chemischen Eigenschaften Philippinischer
Honige. In Apidologie 22:371-380
20
Wakhle, D.M. and Pal, N. (2002) Honey and Hive Products in India Present Status. In
Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Tropical Bees: Management and Diversity,
and 5th AAA Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand (March 19-25, 2000), IBRA, Cardiff, UK.
Ladder and rope set to get honey from the

comb of Apis dorsata, nesting under the
roof of a private building in Chitwan, Nepal.
Photo by Surendra Raj Joshi
A. dorsata bees collecting

nectar from orange trumpet
vine - Pyrostegia venusta
[latin name italics - idem Apis
dorsata
Photo by Surendra Raj Joshi
21
15. From Forest Gate to Sophisticated Market: the

Flow of Apis dorsata Honey in Indonesia
Johnny W. Utama, Dian Niaga, Jakarta
Philosophy
Dian Niaga is in charge of the handling and marketing of forest honey for JMHI
members on the national level. Following DNs triple P philosophy, there are 3 major
issues that matter, in order to get this right: product, planet and profit.
1.
Product
Under this aspect, quality is the top priority

and hygienic handling of the product at all
stages is key. For example:

Post harvest, slicing the comb and

filtering is needed, while handsqueezing to separate honey and wax
is no longer acceptable.
Honey is collected, transported

and sold in clean special purpose
containers and bottles.
Honey should be 100% pure and no

foreign substances or adulteration
are permitted.
Overheating is a big no. Even if water

content has to be reduced, drying is
to be done at very moderate temperatures only.
2.
Planet

Introduce and maintain sustainable harvesting systems. The most important

element in the shift to sustainability is the acceptance of a rule that only the
honey part of a hive should be cut, hence leaving the brood part behind on
the branch. If done this way, the bee queen, followed by the worker bees
will abscond only briefly, but then come back to tend after the larvae and
to immediately start to rebuild the hive. The benefit of careful harvesting
during the day is also clear for all to see: one can harvest honey more than
once during a season. After occasional early objections, eventually, near all
of harvesters do adopt this system.
Fully involve communities in forest conservation and fire prevention efforts.
22
3.
Where need be, encourage efforts towards forest rehabilitation, with special
attention for the provision of nesting trees and sufficient nectar resources
for the bees.
Profit
DN aims to give organized honey collectors an incentive for improvements.
Therefore a policy is maintained to:
Buy at a higher price and
Share profits with the honey collecting communities.
Where, with whom and when
JMHI communities are spread over much of the country (see map), while mostly
in and around national parks and/or in remote areas, where honey is a viable
alternative income to destructive activities, such as illegal logging, poaching, etc..
As the bees migrate, e.g. from higher to lower alleviations and back again, seasonality
of the local harvest is a given, but, as table 1 shows, within the JMHI network as a
whole, there is practically a year round flow of honey.
The Consumer
Lets go back once more to the ones who eventually will enjoy the product.
1.
Where are these consumers to be found - locally or overseas? The answer can
be short: generally speaking , better stay local, because the price is not worth
23
the effort of going into exports. In fact, currently the

domestic retail price can be up to 3.5 X higher. In
Indonesia, forest honey is much valued as a high class
(and healthy) delicacy, while in Europe, for instance,
it would just be some liquid insect product
Meanwhile, Indonesias rapidly growing middle class
(see figure 1) also has increasing purchasing power.
2.
Unique selling points

Different sales arguments may appeal to different
groups of consumers. For example:

Variety: different micro climate/ecological niches provide different nectars,

which subsequently results in a wide range of tastes and therefore in ample
choice!
It is clean and pure natural.
Buying the product is a statement: pro- environment, biodiversity and

culture, while it also contributes to the alleviation of poverty.
In order to be in the position to guarantee the above claims, traceability is key.
While Dian Niaga keeps track of the origin of different batches of procured
honey, concise information in relation to the product is routinely provided on
the back of bottles.
Meanwhile, we are catering to customers from the top to the lower end of
the market (the latter including taxi drivers). Certainly those at the top end are
choosy and they would like to know more about what exactly is in that bottle
they are about to purchase. Apart from above mentioned quality related issues,
questions put forward, include:
What is the impact of the enzymes in honey on peoples health?
What about antioxidants?
Is it advisable for infants, diabetics or people

with heart problems to indulge on the stuff?
The more we are able to address those concerns,
the happier our consumers!
24
Indigenous uses of honey in the Blue Mountains,

Western Ghats, India
Robert Leo
Keystone Foundation
Honey gathering by indigenous people has been an ancient practise that requires
both skill and knowledge. Consumption of honey as a food and medicine has been
a common practise among many cultures across the world, while honey forms an
important part of many social, cultural and religious rituals. In many societies honey is
often the first food given to the new born. Honey has also been used as a preservative
and fermenting agent in many cuisines of the world. The use of honey and bees wax
for crafts and magic has likewise been well documented. Honey has for long been
known as a sign of prosperity - a land flowing with milk and honey is proverbially
known to be a prosperous land. Such is the significance of honey throughout history.
The ancient Indian system of medicine, Ayurdeva, which has a 5000 year old
tradition, uses honey in many of its prescriptions. In an interview published on the
web a renowned ayurvedic physician talks of the role of honey in Ayurveda treatment
(http://www.cseindia.org). Dr.D Ramanathan, director of the Sitaram Ayurveda
Pharmacy Limited & Specialty Hospital in Thrissur, says that honey is referred to by
many names, the most common being madhu, makshika, madwikam, kshaudram,
saradham, vantham, varadi, bringavantham and pushparasolbhavam. This can be
understood as an indicator of its widespread use. The doctor also lists eight different
types of honey as used in ayurveda:
1.
Makshikam: Used in the treatment of eye diseases, hepatitis, piles, asthma,

cough and tuberculosis
2.
Bhraamaram: Used in the treatment when blood is vomited
3.
Kshoudram: Used in the treatment of diabetes
4.
Pauthikam: Used in the treatment of diabetes and urinary infection
5.
Chathram: Used in the treatment of worm infestation, when blood is vomited

and diabetes
6.
Aardhyam: Effective for eye diseases, cough and anaemia
7.
Ouddalakam: Increases taste and swarasudhi. Used in the treatment of leprosy

and poisoning cases
8.
Daalam: It increases digestion and helps in the treatment of cough, vomiting

and diabetes.
25
Finally, in the interview the doctor also mentions that honey from the wild has
always been preferred especially when used for medicinal purposes.
In the Indian subcontinent honey from the wild is gathered from 4 main groups of
honey bees Apis dorsata, Apis cerana, Apis florea and Stingless bees belonging
to the genus Trigona. Gathering of honey from the wild has been a traditional
occupation of the indigenous people who live close to forests and other natural
areas. While large quantities of honey are collected from Apis dorsata and A. cerana
only small quantities are procured from A. florea and the stingless bees and these
are highly valued by the indigenous people. Therefore, rarely is honey of stingless
bees sold.
The Blue Mountains are part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), which
extends over 5000 sq. kms of diverse forested landscapes. There are more than 20
indigenous groups who are residents of the NBR. The predominant honey gatherers
of the NBR are the Kurumbas, Kattunyakas, Todas, Irulas and Jenukurumba. The
name Jenukurumba literally translates as Honey Kurumba. While a large portion of
the honey that is collected is traded, in this chapter the diverse ways in which the
honey gatherers themselves use honey are documented. This information has been
collected over the years through both formal and informal conversations that have
taken place with the honey hunters of the Blue Mountains.
Many times honey gatherers have mentioned that honey is the best way to get rid
of hunger and especially when they are on a long day in the forest, they are happy
to consume honey which is available since it keeps the hunger pangs away and helps
them walk continuously. Eating the processed and filtered honey is not part of the
indigenous way, they prefer to eat the honey directly from the comb, mixed with
the brood of the bees. This has been an ancient practise and forms an important
component of the protein needs of indigenous diets. Honey mixed with millets or
Amaranthus seed flour or tubers (Dioscorea spp.) or Jackfruit or roasted jackfruit
seeds are considered delicacies and eaten on special occasions and days. Honey
is never cooked and only in some cases used as a sweetener for black coffee, while
fruits mixed with honey are fermented and used to brew alcohol.
Indigenous people have also mentioned some medicinal uses of honey, among
which:

The bark of Jamun (Syzygium sp.) and Neem (Azadirachta indica) mixed with
honey is good for deworming in children. This mixture is also given to treat
intestinal disorders and indigestion.
Honey taken on an empty stomach is believed to be an effective cure for throat

infections. Another cure for throat infections is a mixture of honey, holy ash and
limestone powder, which has to be applied externally.
Application of honey on burns helps the wound heal faster.
26
Honey is believed to cure colds and coughs.
Milk and honey is taken as a growth stimulant.
Lemon juice and honey is consumed to aid in weight loss.
Honey of Apis florea is given to young children to cure speech disabilities.
Honey mixed with cinnamon bark powder is taken to purify blood and reduce
hypertension.
A few drops of honey are put into the eye before sleep at night to remove
impurities and infections.
Honey of the stingless bee is mixed with mothers milk to cure certain types
of eye infections.This honey is also given to new born babies and pregnant
mothers to improve their nutrition.
Burnt peacock feathers mixed with honey has been recorded as a medicine
used by certain communities.
Bamboo roots are powdered and mixed with honey and eaten, this is believed
to cure stomach aches and tiredness.
Besides honey, as mentioned earlier, eating of the brood is much more common
among indigenous people. The capped brood mixed with honey is eaten to
strengthen the respiratory system and rib cage. Uncapped brood is eaten by women
to strengthen their pelvic bones especially during pregnancy. The uncapped brood is
also eaten to improve eyesight and is believed to delay the aging process.
Honey of the Apis florea and Stingless bees is believed to be highly medicinal and the
gatherers say this is because these smaller bees forage on herbs and shrubs which
have medicinal properties.
In the many interactions with indigenous people in many regions, honey stands out
as one product that has much cultural, spiritual and social value for the gatherers.
It is also one of the important wild products that has a number of uses in modern
and traditional Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani (Greek)
and other folk traditions. While the uses remain high, awareness needs to be
increased on the possible threats to bee populations. These threats may not only
be from overharvesting but may also be a result of loss of nesting habitats and sites,
diversion of water sources, erratic climate conditions etc. When bee populations are
threatened the livelihoods of honey gatherers and their cultural links are severely
affected. This may lead to erosion of an ancient way of life. So the next time one
takes a spoonful of honey one needs to think about supporting initiatives that
promote sustainable harvests of honey from the wild.
27
Brood eated as fresh from comb
First taste of brood
Fresh brood is eaten with honey
Fresh brood is eaten with honey
Brood is cooked and eaten as breakfast
Brood is squeezed in boiling water and

drained to get solids and cooked as curry
Photos by Robert Leo
28
Honey Laundering:
The impact on Health and Nutrition
By Pandurang Hegde
Appiko Movement, Sirsi, Karnataka, India
Money laundering is a well-established technique to spend black money generated

through illegal means. Following the pattern of money laundering, wholesale
traders, especially those importing and exporting honey have invented a unique
technique to repack, and reroute banned illegal honey into the legal market through
sophisticated laundering operations. In this paper, we make an attempt to review
the process of honey laundering, asking ourselves: who are the players and what is
the route; what are the implications on health and nutrition; and finally, what is the
relevance of all of this for Apis dorsata forest honey?
Honey is presumed to be a natural product, produced through nectar from flowering
plants. Nevertheless, over the years, bee keeping has developed into an organized
industry, leading to the movement of bees across continents and, in the process,
importing pests and diseases from one region to another. In order to control these,
medicines are administered on the diseased bee colonies. The excessive use of
medicines resulted in honey being produced with trace elements of those same
medicines. This laid the foundation for conversion of honey, from being a natural to
a rather unnatural product.
Inspired by the industrial mode of honey production in Europe, the USA, and in
Latin America, China launched a massive bee-keeping program to increase honey
production through Apis Mellifera. Supported and subsidized by the Chinese
government, the industrial mode of beekeeping was able to deliver a honey
revolution in 2001, producing 254,000 tons of honey and hence becoming the
biggest producer of honey in the world. At the same time, it was able to produce
the cheapest honey imaginable, at a mere USD 1,300 per ton. With very little local
consumption of honey, most of the production was available for export as it invaded
the markets in the European Union and in the USA. However, in the process of
becoming the worlds lead producer of honey, Chinese beekeepers had to resort to
chemical methods, using ample antibiotics, in order to control various bee diseases.
Obviously, the final product did carry ample trace elements of these chemicals.
The successful Chinese honey export industry was hit by a ban from its major
importing partners. In 2002, EU custom inspectors detected in a shipment of
Chinese honey the antibiotic chloramphenicol, which is a potential carcinogen.
About 30 other consignments were found to have trace elements of broad-spectrum
antibiotics like streptomycin and tetracycline, as well as of pesticides such as lindane.
This led to the ban of honey imports from China. In the same year, the USA also
29
banned honey imports from China, not in relation to pesticide contamination, but
as an anti-dumping policy. The Chinese were dumping their honey at rock bottom
prices and the US put an exorbitant import duty of 221 per cent on the product.
With the bans in place, China was left with too much excess honey and it had to
find new ways of getting rid of the stockpile. In order to address the situation, the
Chinese evolved a unique road map that led to Honey Laundering across the world.
The rejected consignments subsequently found its way to markets in Asia and
elsewhere. However, production was so big that it could only be absorbed by those
countries that had great demand and appetite for honey, with other words, North
America and Europe. Thus, the market was known, but the ban was an impediment.
In order to evade this ban, Chinese exporters set up a systematic racket to subvert
the ban. First they exported the tainted honey to countries like Russia, Mongolia,
Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, and even to non-honey producing countries like
Singapore. This honey was filtered and mixed with other local honey and then
repackaged as a product originating from that country to be exported to the USA
and Europe! This set the stage for honey laundering across the world.
It is interesting to note the case of Australia in the context of honey laundering.
In the year 2000, the Chinese honey export to Australia was only 6 tons, but this
increased to 2,300 tons in the year 2002. In addition, Australia supposedly imported
1,500 tons of honey from the concrete jungle state Singapore in 2002! This was
blended and repackaged to be exported to the USA.
The technique of honey laundering was to hide the origin of Chinese honey through
multiple imports and exports as well as through blending with local honeys. In many
Asian countries the wild forest honey from Apis Dorsata came to the rescue of
chemically tainted Chinese honey!
The major beneficiaries of honey laundering, apart from the Chinese bee keeping
industry, are its illegal trading partners in the importing countries. They were in
league with the former so that the subverting activities could not be detected and
the consignments were able to pass the customs of countries, which banned these
products. The origin of honey was concealed, and it looked as if the honey originated
from different countries, and there was no reason to doubt the origin as well as
contamination. The laundering of honey continued unabated form 2002 to 2009,
involving the turnover of USD 40 million when it was eventually detected by US
authorities who were able to arrest some of those involved.
30
Furthermore, it is reported that the Chinese also resorted to create counterfeit

products made of malt sweeteners, corn syrup and jaggery (gur sugar) with a
bit of actual honey. This adulterated honey is shipped to countries like India to be
repacked and sold there and elsewhere.
Impact on Health and Nutrition
Though the amount of pesticide chloramphenicol found in honey is miniscule, it is

claimed to have a severe negative, and even potentially fatal, impact on the health
of people, as over-exposure to the substance can, in some cases, lead to aplastic
anemia. Also the presence of lead in honey samples is a serious concern that has
called the attention of health experts. Unfortunately, the tests are conducted only
when the honey is exported to developed countries, and even there the authorities
are unable to detect the contamination in early stages. Even when detected there
is delay in sharing the findings across the continents. This makes criminal honey
laundering easy to do, but difficult to trace.
Furthermore, it is interesting to note the way honey laundering has impacted the
quality of honey in developing countries, where testing is rarely done. In order to
asses the presence of antibiotics in honey sold in India, a civil society organization,
the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), conducted a study of honey brands
sold in India. This study was conducted in 2009, procuring random samples of 12
brands of honey sold in Delhi, the capital of India. Out of these 12 brands, 10 were
from Indian manufacturers and two were foreign brands one each from Australia
and Switzerland.
The results are pretty shocking, indicating the amount of presence of pesticides
as well as it shows the dual standards adopted by the developed nations that are
exporting honey to developing countries.
Out of 12 samples tested, 11 had high presence of antibiotics in them and only one
Indian brand was free form antibiotics, which was from a small local supplier. Out of
these ten Indian brands, 9 of them had multiple presence of antibiotics, indicating
the blending of several honey sourced form different sources and different regions.
What was especially shocking in terms of foreign brands, was that the Swiss brand
of honey had the highest amount of antibiotics of all. Hence, this product, by a wide
margin, failed to meet EU standards, as well as those of their own country. Similarly,
the Australian brand had the presence of 3 antibiotics and failed to meet the home
country standards.
1
1. The antibiotics the study found in honey samples are not only used to control bee diseases, but are also applied as
colony growth promoters by large commercial beekeepers.
31
Some of the antibiotics present in the samples are tetracyclines, used against
foul brood disease. Chronic exposure to oxytetracycline can lead to blood related
disorders, liver injury and delayed blood coagulation. It can damage teeth and
bones and may cause nasal cavities to erode. Children under seven years of age may
develop a discoloration of the teeth. Some other chronic effects include increased
sensitivity to the sun, wheezing and asthmatic attacks.
Chloramphenicol, another antibiotic found in the samples, is widely banned for food
production purposes. It is a potential carcinogen that can lead to organ damage or
bone marrow toxicity, while ampicillin (traces of which likewise were found in the
honey samples) might cause asthmatic allergies, and other disorders.
The study clearly indicates that the branded honey is not pure and that it fails to
meet health and nutritional standards. While most of the samples contained harmful
substances, consumers were not told about the dangers and the poisonous contents
of the products.
These indicate the high risk of contaminated honey for the health of consumers,
who are innocent and buy according to the brand name. Honey, once a natural
product known for enhancing the health and nutrition is now contaminated and has
lost its aura. Despite this loss, most consumers are oblivious of harmful substances
in the honey and they continue to take the honey.
The bee keeping done at an industrial scale, is not only harmful to human beings, but
is also dangerous to the bees and to bee keepers themselves, as both are exposed
to poisonous substances.
As the awareness about contaminated honey spreads across consumer organizations,
it might have disastrous consequences for beekeepers and their livelihood. The
consumers might boycott the produce, bringing down prices and damaging the
reputation of the beekeepers.
Apis Dorsata Honey and Honey Laundering
In Asia, the presence and output of a great amount of honey from the forest,
produced by wild Apis dorsata bees, played an instrumental role in rescuing the
tainted industrial honey. The tainted honey was blended with the forest honey
to reduce the impact of pesticide residues, as well as to conceal the origin of the
source. This practice helped a great deal in sales in the period from 2002 to 2009.
In this grim scenario of honey laundering, the only silver lining is the capacity of wild
forest honey Apis dorsata to show the world that it is still pure and does not have
any trace elements of pesticide residues. It is not suited for industrial production, as
it has to adhere to the seasons and nature for its production, which is limited.
Meanwhile, there is a need to build a special brand for this pure wild honey in
32
international markets, showing its strength, as well as its contribution to the

enhancement of the livelihoods of forest dwelling communities. Finally, the product
provides healthy nutrition for human beings as well as it enhances the biodiversity
needed to sustain the lives on this planet.
References:
Down To Earth, September 16-30, 2010, Magazine published from New Delhi, India
Honey laundering,
Cartoon Earl Paulo Diaz
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Photo Gallery
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The Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition Symposium is organized by the Forest
Honey Network Indonesia (JMHI), together with Dian Niaga Jakarta and in
collaboration with Manila-based NTFP Exchange Programme South & Southeast
Asia (NTFP-EP).
The symposium aims to share up-to-date information on the nutrition and
health benefts of Apis dorsata and Trigona spp, honey, pollen and propolis.
Furthermore, the sharing will takeplace in the context of wider issues affecting
forest honeys position as a specialty niche product

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Forest Honey,

Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Jenne de Beer, Ma Cristina Guerrero & Heri Valentinus: General Introduction

Jenne de Beer: Different Honeys, Different Issues: an Overview

Chanpen Chanchao: Bioactivities of Bee Products in Thailand

Surendra Raj Joshi: International Standards for Honey: An Issue of Inclusiveness

Robert Leo: Traditional Uses of Honey in Southern India

Pandurang Hegde: Honey Laundering: the Impact on Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Meanwhile, in view of the relevance and high quality of symposium contributions

Advisor Forest Foods, NTFP-EP, Quezon City

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Different Honeys, Different Issues: an Overview

II. Production Base

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

No transmissions of the above mentioned mite-borne diseases to A. dorsata bees

Nevertheless, the species is under pressure too, primarily because of dwindling

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Is free of pesticides, chemical antibiotics and other additives;

comes from a clean (forest) environment;

is derived from a great variation of nectar sources.

IV. Recognition, Research & Support

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Great progress has been made over the last

11. See further chapter Surendra Joshi International Standards

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

THE POTENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF TUALANG

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Aptherapy Internet Course (http://www.apitherapy.com).

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Bioactivities of bee products in Thailand

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Chanchao, C. (2009a). Antimicrobial activity by Trigona laeviceps (stingless bee) honey

Chanchao, C. (2012). Bioactivities of honey and propolis fromTetragonula laeviceps

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Figure 1. The shape of hive entrance from

Figure 3. Bees like foraging of pollen

Figure 2. An aggregation of many

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Nutritional/health value of bee pollen and best

Bee pollen is composed of nutritionally valuable substances including protein,

7-35% of protein, 25% of which is the complete protein.

About 5% and there are 32-36% of primarily simple sugars.

About a dozen of vitamins (B-vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E and powerful

Hundred of enzymes or co-enzymes, 14 beneficial fatty acids, various growth

Human health benefits from bee pollen consumption

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Figure1. Bee bread parts in Apis dorsata comb (A) and

Photo by Phung Huu Chinh

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

International Standards for Honey:

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

Ladder and rope set to get honey from the

A. dorsata bees collecting

Forest Honey, Health and Nutrition

15. From Forest Gate to Sophisticated Market: the

Under this aspect, quality is the top priority