Safety aspects of stingless bee pot-pollen from the Philippines
Abstract
© 2020 Ma. Desiree Belina-Aldemita, Vera Fraberger, Matthias Schreiner, Konrad J. Domig, Stefano D'Amico. Philippines stingless bee (Tetragonula biroi Friese) pot-pollen are known for their advantageous effects on human health due to a high nutritional value and a broad range of beneficial physiological and pharmacological effects. However, safety aspects regarding this product were rarely examined. Therefore, pollen samples from the Philippines were analyzed for inorganic contaminants and microbiological quality. Obtained values for heavy metals (e.g., arsenic 0.015-0.032 mg/kg, cadmium 0.053-0.153 mg/kg and lead 0.017-0.155 mg/kg) were generally lower compared to previous studies and most were within the safety limits. Further, microbial counts for total aerobic microorganisms, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus were in accordance with the recommended values. Microbial population was diverse and the identified species were mostly endosporeformers such as Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp., and molds because of the low water activity and low pH of the pot-pollens. Results indicated that good practices in agriculture, hygiene and manufacturing in every step of the production chain must be implemented in order to enhance the quality and safety of this bee product. Overall, pot-pollens from T. biroi are safe for human consumption if hygienic principles are applied.
Source or Periodical Title
Bodenkultur
ISSN
65471
Page
87-100
Document Type
Article
Subject
Inorganic contaminants, Microbiological quality, Pollen, Safety, Stingless bee
Recommended Citation
Belina-Aldemita, Ma Desiree; Fraberger, Vera; Schreiner, Matthias; Domig, Konrad J.; and D'Amico, Stefano, "Safety aspects of stingless bee pot-pollen from the Philippines" (2021). Journal Article. 488.
https://www.ukdr.uplb.edu.ph/journal-articles/488