Royal jelly  ─ Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This is a draft Malawi standard  and shall neither be regarded nor used as a Malawi standard  
 
 
 ICS 67.180.1 0          DMS 1823 :2022  
First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
COMESA /SADC  HARMONISED  
 
 
 ICS 67.180.10          DMS 1823 :2022  
First edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Royal jelly ─ Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Obtainable from the  
Malawi Bureau of Standards  
P O Box 946  
BLANTYRE  
 
Tel:  +265 1 870 488  
Fax :  +265 1 870 756  
E-mail :  mbs@mbsmw.org  
Web -site : www.mbsmw.org  
 
 
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents  Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................    ii 
Technical committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........    ii 
Scope   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................    1 
Normative reference   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......   1 
Terms and definitions   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....   1 
Essential compos ition and quality factors   ................................ ................................ ................................ ......   2 
Contaminants   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................     3 
Hygiene   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................    3 
Packaging, marking, storage and transport   ................................ ................................ ................................ ...   3 
Test methods  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................    4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 ii FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi standard was  prepared by MBS/TC 70, the Technical Committee on Apiculture products to 
provide requirements for royal jelly.  
 
This draft Malawi standard  is based on International Standard ISO 12824:201 6, Royal jelly – Specification.  
 
Acknowledgement is made for the use of the information.  
 
 
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE  
 
This draft Malawi standard  was prepared by MBS/TC 70, the  Technical Committee on Apiculture products  and 
the following organisations and institutions were consulted:  
 
African Honey Products;  
Consumer Association of Malawi;  
Honey products Limited;  
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources;  
Malawi Bureau of Standards;  
Malawi University of Bu siness and Applied Sciences,  
Ministry of Agriculture – Department of Animal Health and Livestock Development,  
Ministry of Health – Department of Nutrition;  
Ministry of Industry and Trade;  
Mzuzu Coffee;  
Natural Herbals;  
Northern Honey Processors;  
Nyika  Honey;  
Peoples Trading Centre;  
Shoprite Trading; and  
Small Medium Enterprises Development Institute.  
 
 
 
NOTICE  
 
This standard shall be reviewed every five years, or earlier when it is necessary, in order to keep abreast of 
progress. Comments are welcome and shall be considered when the standard is being reviewed .
  
 1 DMS  1823 :2022  
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Royal jelly ─ Specification  
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft Malawi standard  specifies the production and sanitary requirements for royal jelly .  
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCE S 
 
The following standards contain provisions, which through reference in this text, constitute provisions 
of this standard. All standards are subject to revision and since any reference to a standard is deemed 
to be a reference to the latest edition of that standard, parties to agreements based on this standard 
are encouraged to take steps to ensure the use of the most recent edition of the standard indicated 
below . Information on current valid national and international standards can be obtained from the 
Malawi Bureau of Standards.  
 
MS 19: Labelling of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21: Food and food processing units – Code of hygienic conditions;  
 
MS 1824 : Royal jelly – Methods of test;  
 
ISO 4833 -1: Microbiology of the food chain – Horizontal method for the enumerati on of microorganisms 
–  Part 1: Colony count at 30 °C by the pour plate technique;  
 
ISO 6579 : Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection of 
Salmonella spp;  and 
 
ISO 21528 -2: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal methods for the detection and 
enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae – Part 2 : Colony -count method.  
 
 
3 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS  
 
For the purpose of this draft Malawi standard , the following terms and definitions shall apply:  
 
3.1 
royal jelly  
mixture of secretions from hypopharyngeal  and mandibular glands of worker bees, free from any 
additive  
 
Note:  Note 1 to entry: It is the food of larval and adult queens. It is a raw and natural food, unprocessed except for filtration w hich 
does not undergo addition of substances. The colour, the taste and the chemical composition of royal jelly are determined by 
absorption and transformation by the bees fed with the following two types of foods during the royal jelly production time:  
 
— type 1: only bee’s natural foods (pollen, nectar and honey); and 
 
— type 2: bee’s natural food and other nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, etc.).  
 
3.2 
10-HDA  
10-hydroxy -2-decenoic acid  
characteristic material of royal jelly  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 2 4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
4.1 Description  
Royal jelly is milky white, pale yellow, with luster. It is pasty or jelly -like at room temperature with fluidity 
and shall be free from bubbles and foreign substances. Minor crystallization phenomena can occur 
naturally in royal jelly during storage.  
 
4.2 Odour and taste  
 
It is pungent, unfermented and shall not be rancescent. It is acerb, spicy and it brings acrid taste to 
palate and throat.  
 
4.3 Specific requirements  
 
Royal jelly shall comply with the requirements given in Table 1  when tested in accordance with the 
methods s pecified therein.  
 
Table 1: Specific requirements for royal jelly  
 
S/N 1 2 3 
1 Characteristic  Requirement  Test Method  Type 1  Type 2  
2 Moisture content (%)  
min. 
max   
62.0 
68.5 MS 1824  
3 10-HDA(%)  
min. 1.4 MS 1824  
4 Protein %  
min. 
max  
11 
18 MS 1824  
5 Total sugar %  
min. 
max.   
7 
18 MS 1824  
6 Fructose %  2 – 9 MS 1824  
7 Glucose %  2 – 9 MS 1824  
8 Sucrose %  <3.0 Naa MS 1824  
9 Erlose %.  <0.5 Na MS 1824  
10 Maltose %  <1.5 Na MS 1824  
11 Maltotriose %  <0.5 Na MS 1824  
12 Total acidity [(1 mol/l NaOH) 
ml/100g]  
min. 
max  
 
30.0 
53.0 MS 1824  
13 Total lipid (%)  
min. 
max  
2 
8 MS 1824  
14 C13/C12 Isotopic ratio (δ ‰)  −29 to −20  −29 to −14  MS 1824  
a    Not applicable  
 
Furosine is an additional, optional quality parameter which shows freshness of royal j elly . 
 
Pollen screening may be used to determine geographical origin of royal j elly. 
 
4.4 Microbiological limits  
 
Royal jelly shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 2.  
 
 
 
 
  
 3 Table 2: Microbiological limi ts for royal jelly  
 
S/N 1 2 3 
1 Characteristic  Limit  Test method  
2 Colony count, cfu/g, max.  500 ISO 4833 -1 
3 Enterobacteriaceae, cfu/g  Absent in 10g  ISO 21528 -1 
4 Salmonella, cfu/g  Absent in 25g  ISO 6579  
 
 
5 CONTAMINANTS  
 
5.1 Heavy metals  
 
Royal jelly shall be free from heavy metals in  amounts which may represent a hazard to human health.  
 
5.2 Residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs  
 
Royal jelly  shall conform to the Maximum Residue Limits for pesticides and veterinary drugs for 
foodstuffs of animal origin established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
 
6 HYGIENE  
 
Products covered by the provisions of this standard shall be prepared and handled in accordance with 
the appropriate clauses of MS 21.  
 
 
7 PACKAGING, MARKING, STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION  
 
7.1 Packaging  
 
Packaging in con tact with royal jelly shall be of food grade.  
 
7.2 Marking  
 
In addition to the provisions of MS 19, the package shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the 
following information:  
 
a) The name of the product, and trade name or brand name, if any;  
 
b) The name and address of the producer or packer;  
 
c) The net weight;  
 
d) The harvesting country/countries;  
 
e) The harvesting year;  
 
f) The date of minimum durability;2  
 
g) The storage mode and instructions;  
 
h) The freezing month if any;  
 
i) The type, according to this draft Malawi sta ndard ; and  
  
 4 j) The batch number.  
 
7.3 Storage and transportation  
 
The temperature for storage shall be between +2 °C and +5 °C or, preferably, less than −18 °C for long -
term storage.  
 
Royal jelly produced in different areas and times should be stored separately in giving them different 
batch numbers (in bottle or in box).  
 
It shall be transported at low temperature and shall not be stored and transported with toxic, corrosive 
material or material with peculiar smell or that might cause contamination.  
 
 
 
8 TEST METHODS  
 
8.1 General  
 
Use only reagents of recognized analytical grade, unless otherwise specified, and distilled water or 
water of equivalent purity.  
 
8.2 Sample collection  
 
Sample collector shall use stainless steel bar, tube or spoon. Put the s ample into the sterile sample 
bottle, stir sufficiently in order to mix it evenly, and put it aside as the sample to be tested. Each sample 
shall not be less than 20 g.  
 
The sample shall be tested immediately or it shall be stored in a refrigerator below 5  °C. 
 
8.3 Test methods of specific requirements  
 
Samples shall be tested according to the test methods specified in MS xx  or any other test methods 
with performances recognized as at least equivalent according to recognized standards.  ICS 6 7.180.1 0         DMS 1823 :2022  
First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MALAWI BUREAU OF STANDARDS              CERTIFICATION MARK SCHEME  
The Malawi Bureau of Standards is the 
standardizing body in Malawi under the aegis 
of the Ministry of Industry.  Set up in 1972 by 
the Malawi Bureau of Standards Act (Cap: 
51:02), the Bureau is a parastatal body whose 
activities aim at formulating and prom oting the 
general adoption of standards relating to 
structures, commodities, materials, practices, 
operations and from time to time revise, alter 
and amend the same to incorporate advanced 
technology.  
             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Bureau operates a Certification Mark Scheme. 
Under this scheme, manufacturers who 
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standards are granted permits to use the 
Bureau’s “Mark of Quality” depicted below on 
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the consumer  of the commodity’s reliability