Colombia: Technique to identify the origin of bee pollen

Colombia. The designation of origin stamps distinguish the origin of food products and give them a greater commercial value, linked to the natural or environmental conditions where they were produced. This happens with wines, meat products, fruits... however, certifying the designation of origin of honey is very complicated, because bees move freely through the environment. However, an algorithm can help identify the origin of the pollen used by the bees. With the help of the Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (Agrosavia) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias), a group of experts from the National University of Colombia (UNAL) analyzed nearly 4,800 pollen photographs taken in the apiaries of the regions of Tundama and Márquez, in Boyacá, important provinces of the department and which include municipalities such as Duitama or Paipa. “The photographic samples of pollen, which were taken in a standardized environment so that there were no ...