Determination of Physical-chemical Parameters in Bee Products: A Preliminary Investigation from Africa’s Most Renewed Bee Village in Tanzania
Authors: Lucas Kachinde, Jumanne , Fweja Leonard W. T. , Mihale Matobola Joel 
Published: November 2022

Aim: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the determination of physical-chemical parameters in bee products: a preliminary investigation from Africa’s most renewed bee village in Tanzania; specifically, the study presents preliminary findings of an inquiry that examined pesticide contamination in bee products from Kijiji cha Nyuki located in Tanzania. The study measured the levels of physical-chemical parameters in honey products harvested from the selected bee apiaries.

Material and Methods: A mixed methods approach was adopted for this study and collected data both primary and secondary data were collected using physical observation and survey, interviews, and questionnaires, purposive and random sampling techniques were used in this study to select a total of 104 participants who was taken as a sample from universal populations. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Computer Programme version 25, where the statistics aspect was determined from the results obtained from both questionnaires and laboratory experiments. A preliminary investigation from Africa’s most renewed bee village in Tanzania; Collected samples were analyzed at TBS & SGS laboratories.

Results: The results show all studied areas met honey quality assurance guidelines stipulated by the ministry of natural resources and tourism suggesting moisture content in honey should not exceed 21%. pH test showed honey sample from Egypt apiaries had higher pH of 4.3 and honey from Kijiji cha Nyuki had a low pH of 3.54 implying honey from the studied areas falls within the pH applicable range. Test of Hydroxylmethly furfural mg/kg discovered an average of 13.65 mg/kg in honey samples from 4 studied areas out of the 5, with 107.13 mg/kg of HMF in honey samples from Egypt. Suggesting that honey samples from the 4 study areas with exception of samples from Egypt met the TZS 851:2006 standards and national’s guidelines of 40mg/kg Hydroxylmethly furfural. Finally, the Test of total reducing sugar as inverted sugar % m/m, from five samples as per Tanzania Bureau of Statistics (TBS) laboratory results found a maximum of 68.91 % m/m and 64.4 % m/m minimum. The amount of physical-mechanical contaminations that were identified in honey from 4 areas with the exemption of samples from Egypt apiaries poses no risk to consumers.

Contribution to Policy Implication: This study recommends interventions among farmers and beekeepers on the safe use of pesticides, good hygienic handling, and the storage practices. It has contributed to the understanding of how the regulations outlining the use of insecticides is being implemented, and the current economic condition of studied farms. This calls on policymakers to rethink ways of engaging the beekeepers, and to have an ongoing discussion with beekeepers and concerned stakeholders about a model that could be used to enhance pesticides regulation in Tanzania.