Melissopalynology

Melissopalynology is the study of pollen derived from honey. In a broader sense it includes the study of the origin of pollen. By analyzing the pollen in a honey sample, it is possible to limit the geographical area of ​​origin and there occurring plants that were visited by the bees or to determine. The pollen analysis is performed by microscopy of the recovered sediment by centrifugation of the solids that are in an aqueous honey solution. For a first overview is sufficient after adequate preparation of the sediment often 160 times magnification. Detailed statements, however, require up to 450fache magnifications. A standard work of pollen analysis was in 1935, edited by Enoch Zander, a former director of the Bavarian State Institute of Beekeeping in Erlangen.

This information is required for the detection of a particular origin of a given honey. Honey of a dominant species is differentiated taste and therefore often more valuable than " thousand flower honey ," the nectar was collected from different plant species. The region of origin influences the selling price. Importhonige from low-wage countries are cheaper than local honeys.

So melissopalynology is used to detect illegal Umetikettierens or false origin ( to expensive to sell cheap honey ).

Since 2004, the melissopalynology is no longer applicable to all honeys to the tracking, as well as a so-called " Filtered honey " may be offered for sale, see honey Regulation. This is almost exclusively imports large marketers that early crystallization of liquid honey OFFERED ( "Honey in the ketchup bottle " ) want to prevent by the filtering.