Quality parameters and nutritional value of different commercial bee products.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the composition and microbiological quality of commercially honeybee-collected pollen, bee bread and royal jelly and to define the following physicochemical and microbiological characteristics: water content/dry weight, protein content, fat content, sugar spectrum and some microbiological parameters. The main sugars identified by high performance liquid chromatography were fructose, glucose, and sucrose, with small amounts of disaccharides. Among the microbiological parameters, a relatively high number of moulds and total aerobic counts were found in fresh pollen, but under the maximum admitted level.