Brazilian propolis must follow quality standards

The Brazilian Association of Honey Exporters (Abemel), together with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and more specialists from thirty countries, take another important step in an unprecedented project in the world: the creation of international quality standards for propolis. Food is produced by bees by collecting and processing secretions from plants and their shoots. Composed of flavonoids, aromatic oils, pollen and other substances, opropolis or propolis extract is commonly used for respiratory ailments such as flu, colds and sore throat because of its beneficial health properties. Currently the three largest world producers of the product are China, Brazil and Turkey. In Brazil, marketing must follow the rules of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), however, in the foreign market, the fact that there are different regulations in each country ends up making it difficult for the product to enter in some nations. The committee made up ...