Honey

Honey is a nutrient and a medicine made by bees from the nectar of plants or honeydew. People think of this product as a naturally clean and safe product from bees. Today, this is no longer the case. The desire for higher production and the use of chemical agents in apiculture have frequently resulted in adulteration of honey and contamination with hazardous substances.

The Central Laboratories of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia are the official test laboratories for performing analyses of honey. In cooperation with other departments at the Institute, we perform analyses of the quality and safety of this food.


Analyses are made in accordance with Slovenian and European legislation

 

Analysis Methods
Analyses of Quality and Safety of Food
A RECEPTION SHEET must be filled out when submitting a sample for analysis of the honey.

Quality
In 2003, we obtained the accreditation in the field of honey analysis through the French accreditation committee COFRAC (Comité français d’accréditation). In 2012, this was transferred to the Slovenian Accreditation in accordance with EA policy (accreditation document LP-020).
The laboratory performs procedures for ensuring the quality of tests by using reference materials and internal quality control with the help of the use of secondary reference materials and participates in the intra-laboratory comparative scheme for determining competency BIPEA (Bureau Interprofessionnel d'Etudes Analytique).


Authorisations
The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia has been, since 2004, designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia as the test laboratory for determining the quality of honey and other bee products for the requirements of official control and inspection in the Republic of Slovenia.


Contact Persons

Dr Veronika Kmecl, univ. dipl. inž. kem., tel.:  + 386 1 280 51 64

Eva Cukjati, dipl. inž. zoot. (UN), tel.: + 386 1 280 52 41

Dr Maja Smodiš Škerl, dr. vet. med., tel.: + 386 1 280 51 50

Marinka Kregar, univ. dipl. agr., tel.: + 386 1 280 52 57