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Quality of bee pollen submitted to drying, pasteurization, and high-pressure processing - A comparative approach
Ofélia Anjos1, Natália Seixas2, Carlos A L Antunes3
1Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco (IPCB), Quinta da Senhora de Mércules, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal; Centro de estudos florestais (CEF), Laboratório Associado TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Abjuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal; Centro de Biotecnologia e Plantas da Beira Interior (CBP-BI) Quinta da Senhora de Mércules, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal.
High-pressure pasteurization best preserves bee pollen
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Bee pollen is a nutrient-rich superfood with antioxidant and microbiological properties.
- Optimizing storage and processing is crucial for maintaining bee pollen's quality and applications.
- Current conservation methods require evaluation for their impact on bee pollen's constituents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the optimal conservation process for bee pollen.
- To assess the impact of different storage methods on bee pollen's individual constituents.
- To identify the best method for maintaining bee pollen's nutritional and bioactive properties.
Main Methods:
- Monofloral bee pollen was subjected to three conservation processes: drying, pasteurization, and high-pressure pasteurization.
- Samples were analyzed after 30 and 60 days for changes in chemical composition.
- Key constituents analyzed included proteins, amino acids, lipids, and microbial contamination levels.
Main Results:
- Drying significantly decreased fatty acid and amino acid content in bee pollen.
- High-pressure pasteurization demonstrated superior results in preserving proteins, amino acids, and lipids.
- High-pressure pasteurization also achieved the lowest microbial contamination levels.
Conclusions:
- High-pressure pasteurization is the most effective method for conserving bee pollen.
- This method successfully maintains the valuable nutritional and bioactive components of bee pollen.
- Optimized conservation ensures maximized application potential for bee pollen.
