Increased demand for more balanced, healthy, and safe nutrition has accelerated studies on natural bee products in the last decade. Bee products, such as honey and bee bread, form the basis for a wide range of beekeeping products that offer not only nutritional value but also properties like antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. The purpose of our research was to improve the process of collecting and producing bee bread for human consumption, with a focus on analyzing its potential health benefits. The study was conducted on two beehives in Goriška region and one beehive in Posavje region between 2017 and 2020. In Posavje region, we obtained honeycomb with bee bread, which we used to calculate the values of individual components in the honeycomb cell. To collect the honeycomb with bee bread in an innovative way, we adapted the traditional use of AŽ beehives among Slovenian beekeepers. We placed two combs in the brood chamber of the beehive in a so-called "warm way" and separated them from the queen bee to prevent brood from being present on them. Then, we moved the combs to the honey chamber and waited for the bees to fill them with honey and cover them with a wax cap. However, we soon noticed that bees rapidly consumed the bee bread. Furthermore, we found that they were reluctant to store pollen in the honeycomb cells away from brood, making the adjustment of the AŽ beehive in these conditions less practical. We also intended to analyze the antimicrobial properties of the obtained bee bread, but due to poor yield, we were unable to do so.
Additionally, we conducted a questionnaire among Slovenian beekeepers to gather general information about beekeeping practices, production, and attitudes towards bee bread. The questionnaire was conducted in 2017 on the Slovenian Beekeeper's Association website. The findings from the questionnaire showed a mostly negative attitude towards bee bread production, as the process of extracting it from the comb was deemed time-consuming, and the technology for its extraction was less affordable.
The research emphasizes the importance of technological innovations in optimizing bee bread production. With its favorable climate and well-established beekeeping sector, Slovenia has the potential to become a major producer of high-quality bee bread, benefiting the local community economically and preserving the country's rich beekeeping tradition.
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