Legislative and forensic applications of melissopalynology, the study of pollen in honey

Melissopalynology can provide scientific evidence about the authenticity of honey products, which is becoming a medical, economic and legal concern globally. Investigations can evaluate whether the pollen and spores (collectively termed palynomorphs) in a questioned honey sample are consistent with its purported geographical origin and botanical source(s). Legislation can therefore use such melissopalynological information to create benchmarks for authentic honey products and, by requiring explicit labelling of origins on honey products, can counteract honey fraud, protect consumers, and create premium economic products for small-scale honey production. If the authenticity of a honey product is challenged, melissopalynology must be able to provide a robust forensic service. This review evaluates how well melissopalynology qualifies as a forensic science that can be used to litigate under the legislation with which it is intimately associated. It meets criteria of scientific testability; professional peer review and publication; codified standard operating procedures for data collection, quantification and analysis; quantified error rates; and widespread acceptance within its scientific community, and it has been used in court cases. Its public databases are growing and proprietary databases need to be probatively auditable. Like other forensic sciences, melissopalynology is growing in technical sophistication but its ability to address specific relevant questions may depend on the contingencies of each case, e.g. the inadmissibility of illegally-obtained evidence. Melissopalynology is a science that satisfies the baselines of fitness for court, and this overview highlights areas where it can be refined so that its evidence is not merely admissible and legally defensible, but inherently robust forensic science.