Does Bee Pollen Go Bad ? – Looking At The Bees’ Great Achievements
In looking at the question, does bee pollen go bad, first let us look at some of the great achievements by bees and how they are fighting the threat posed by the CCD which stands for Colony Collapse Disorder.
I have just read a report in the The Guardian (UK)which shows that bees are already reacting and putting in place preservation measures which is only apparently good news. The fears are that the measures the bees are taking may not be sufficient to stave off extinction. Whether they will survive and the whole world’s food supply along with them, is a question which we cannot answer at this stage.
World's Food Supply Under Threat
Possible causes of the CCD
Nobody is quite sure what exactly has caused this collapse but bee populations are down all over the world. There are various theories as to why this is happening and the following have been cited in the press.
- climatic changes
- extreme weather conditions
- pollution
- overuse of pesticides and insecticides.
Is The Environmental Protection Agency to blame?
It is the use of pesticides and insecticides that has caused the greatest concern especially after a report was leaked recently which could well lay the blame at the door of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Incredible but true . It seems that a well known pesticide called clothianidin was approved by the EPA when they actually knew that it would damage the bee population!
The bees are reacting by ensuring that any polluted pollen is covered with a layer of propolis which is a sort of sealant and which can put that pollen into a sort of quarantine. The bees actually do the same thing when a dead mouse is found in the hive and it is mummified with propolis so that no germs or toxins will destroy the healthy environment of the hive.
Now the question, does bee pollen go bad, can be answered by referring to the above process when the actual pollen I gathered. It should be flash or freeze dried so that all the nutrient are sealed in which is rather similar to the process I have mentioned above. Heat drying can sometimes be done but there are too many risks in the pollen losing many of its nutritional properties.
Most people reckon that bee pollen granules can be stored in a fridge and kept up to six months. Some people estimate that it could actually be kept for twelve months.
‘Does bee pollen go bad’ can also be answered by looking at the way it is stored because the exposure of heat and light could compromise it and bacteria and fungi could damage the pollen. It is also important that no water is added and that I one of the reasons why it is flash dried as soon as possible.
Now that we have seen how important the storage and processing of the pollen is, why not find out what all the bee pollen benefits are and what you should look out for before you actually buy.
