Bee propolis  ─ 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 1819 :2022  
First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
COMESA /SADC  HARMONISED  
 
 
 ICS 67.180.20          DMS 1821 :2022  
First  edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bee propolis  ─ 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  
 
 
Price based on 3  pages  
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 i TABLE OF CONTENTS  
 
Contents  Page  
 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................    ii 
Technical committee  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........    ii 
Scope   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................    1 
Normative reference   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......   1 
Term and definitions   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......   1 
Essential compos ition and q uality factors   ................................ ................................ ................................ ......   1 
Contaminants   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................     2 
Hygiene   ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................    3 
Packaging and labeling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..   3 
Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................    3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 ii FOREWORD  
 
This draft Malawi standard  has been prepared by MBS/TC 70, the Technical Committee on Apiculture products 
to provide requirements for bee propolis . 
 
This draft Malawi standard  is based on East African Standard EAS 990:2020 , Bee propolis – 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;  
Mala wi University of Business 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  1819 :2022  
DRAFT MALAWI STANDARD  
 
Bee propolis  ─ Specification  
 
1 SCOPE  
 
This draft Malawi standard  specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for bee propolis  intended 
for human consumption . 
 
 
2 NORMATIVE REFERENCE  
 
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 mos t 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 : Labeling of prepacked foods – General standard;  
 
MS 21 : Code of hygienic condit ions for food and food processing units;  
 
MS 214: Drinking water – Specifications;  
 
MS 624 : Nutrition labelling – Requirements ; 
 
MS 625 : Claims on food – General requirements ; 
 
AOAC Official Method 999.11: Determination of Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc in Foods, Atomic  
Absorption Spectrophotometry after Dry Ashing ; 
 
CAC/GL 50: General guidelines on sampling ; 
 
ISO 1666: Starch – Determination of moisture content – Oven -drying method ; 
 
ISO 5516: Fruits, vegetables and derived products – Decomposition of organic matter prior to analysis –  
Ashing method ;  
 
ISO 5809: Starches and derived products – Determination of sulphated ash ; 
 
ISO 16212: Cosmetics – Microbiology – Enumeration of yeast and mould ; 
 
ISO 21150: Cosmetics – Microbiology – Detection of Escherichia coli ; and 
 
ISO 22718: Cosmetics – Microbiology – Detection of Staphylococcus aureus . 
 
 
3 TERM AND DEFINITION  
 
For the purpose of this draft Malawi standard , the following term and definition  shall apply:  
 
propolis  
bee glue or resinous mixture that bees produce by mixing bee secretions and beeswax with exudate gathered  
from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources  
 
 
4 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
Bee propolis shall:  
 
a) Have characteristic appearance, colour, taste, odour and flavour depending on origin;  
  
2 
 b) Be pure and unadulterated;  
 
c) Be lipophilic in nature, rigid, fragile and brittle material when cold; but when temperature rises, it 
becomes soft, pasty, gummy and adhesive property and be sticky;  
 
d) Be soluble in ether, sparingly soluble in alcohol and insoluble in water; and  
 
e) Be processed using clean equipment and the water used in processing shall be potable water in 
accordance with MS 214.  
 
4.2 Specific requirements  
 
Bee propolis shall als o comply with the requirements given in Table 1  when tested in accordance with the test  
methods prescribed therein.  
 
Table 1: Specific requirements for bee propolis  
 
S/N 1 2 3 
1 Characteristic  Requirement  Test Method  
2 Moisture content, %, max.  6.0 ISO 1666  
3 Total ash, %, max.  10.0 ISO 5809  
4 Wax, %, max.  30  
5 Resins, %, max.  50  
 
4.3 Microbiological limits  
 
Bee propolis  shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 2.  
 
Table 2: Microbiological limi ts for bee propolis  
 
S/N 1 2 3 
1 Characteristic  Limit  Test method  
2 Yeast/mould, cfu/g, max.  10 ISO 16212  
3 E.coli, cfu/g  Absent  ISO 21150  
4 Staphylococcus, cfu/g  Absent  ISO 22718  
 
 
5 CONTAMINANTS  
 
5.1 Heavy metals  
 
Bee propolis shall be free from heavy metals in amounts which may represe nt a hazard to human health and 
shall conform to the limits specified in Table 3  when tested in accordance w ith the test methods prescribed                 
therein.  
 
5.2 Residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs  
 
Bee propolis shall comply with pesticides and  veterinary drugs maximum  residue limits for the product 
established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  
 
 
 
 
 
  
3 
 Table 3: Heavy metal  limits for bee propolis  
 
S/N 1 2 3 
1 Heavy metal  Limit  
(ppm, max)  Test method  
2 Arsenic (As)  0.5 ISO 5516 & AOAC 999.11  
3 Lead (Pb ) 1.0 ISO 5516 & AOAC 999.11  
4 Mercury (Hg)  0.05 ISO 5516 & AOAC 999.11  
5 Cadmium (Cd)  0.2 ISO 5516 & AOAC 999.11  
 
 
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 AND LABELING  
 
7.1 Packaging  
 
Bee propolis shall be packaged in a food grade material that protects the integrity and safety of the product  
 
7.2 Label ling 
 
In addition to the provisions of MS 19, the package shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following 
information:  
 
7.2.1  Name of the product as “Bee propolis”;  
 
7.2.2  Name, location and physical address of the processor/packer;  
 
7.2.3  Country of origin;  
 
7.2.4  Date of packaging;  
 
7.2.5  Best before;  
 
7.2.6  Decleration of allegens;  
 
7.2.7  Instructions for storage;  
 
7.2.8  Net content in SI unit; and  
 
7.2.9  Batch/Lot number . 
 
7.2.10  Any nutritional and health claims associated with this product shall be in ac cordance with MS 625 and 
shall follow nutritional labelling con cepts in accordance with MS 624 . 
 
 
8 SAMPLING  
 
Sampling of bee propolis shall be done in accordance with CAC/GL 50.ICS 6 7.180.1 0         DMS 1819 :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  and Trade .  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 
promoting 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.  To bring the advantages of standardization within the 
reach of the common consumer, the Bureau 
operates a Certification Mark Scheme. Under 
this scheme, manufacturers who produce 
goods that conform to national standards are 
granted permits to use the Bureau’s “Mark of 
Quality” depicted below on their products.  This 
Mark gives confidence to the consumer of the 
commodity’s reliability.