There are no vacations during the pollen season. Of primary concern, the article states, is cleanliness of bee collected pollen. The kinds of debris and foreign matter that can be found in pollen is remarkable. In addition, a few mouse droppings will render the entire pollen batch unusable and spilled pollen should never be run through a cleaning machine. Competent buyers will not touch pollen that has any beekeeper dirt in it.
Stored pollen is a marvelous medium for growth of fungi and bacteria.
Of major concern in moist environments is the ever present threat of aflatoxin, produced by fungi of the Aspergillis genus. Stored products, such as soybeans, peanuts, and corn, in Florida, are carefully monitored for presence of aflatoxin. Bee collected pollen is not usually consumed in as great a quantity as other stored products and is generally quickly dried to below twenty-five percent moisture, optimum for Aspergillis growth, so that danger from this is minimized. However, it nevertheless is a quality factor that cannot be ignored at present, and one ripe for bureaucratic regulation in the future. Some promoters have suggested pollen trapping to be beneficial to a bee colony.