Refrigeration and Freezing Equipment

Cooling and freezing units are the refrigerators, chest freezers, cold rooms and portable cool boxes used to keep perishable bee products such as royal jelly, fresh pollen and bee bread at low temperature from harvest to sale. In Türkiye, the Turkish Food Codex requires fresh royal jelly, bee pollen and bee bread to be kept at +8 °C or below from production to the consumer; for long-term storage, freezing is the safest method. Honey, by contrast, needs no cooling; a cool, dry store is enough.

Why are bee products stored cold?

Not all bee products are equally delicate. Ripe honey does not spoil at room temperature because it contains little water. Royal jelly and fresh pollen, however, have a high water content and come from living tissue; in warm conditions they lose quality quickly and can go mouldy or ferment.

• Royal jelly: Its composition changes with temperature, light and air; its proteins and biological activity deteriorate over time. Laboratories assess freshness from these changes. It must be cooled immediately after harvest.
• Fresh pollen: It is moist when taken from the trap. If left standing, mould and yeast develop, and insects and mites can get in.
• Bee bread (perga): Once removed from the comb, it is kept cold as a fresh product.
• Propolis: Cooling is not required; but frozen raw propolis becomes brittle and is easy to break up and clean.

At what temperature are royal jelly and pollen stored?

The international royal jelly standard (ISO 12824) recommends keeping royal jelly at +2 to +5 °C and, for long-term storage, preferably below −18 °C. In Türkiye, the Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Bee Products makes it mandatory to keep royal jelly, bee pollen and bee bread, other than powdered royal jelly and dried pollen and bee bread, at +8 °C or below from production to the final consumer. In practice the legal limit is +8 °C, while good practice is well below that.

What types of cooling and freezing units are there?

Refrigerator

Used for short-term storage of royal jelly for a few weeks and for holding fresh pollen before drying or freezing. Put the product at the back of the inner shelves, not in the door; the door shelves warm up every time it is opened. In household refrigerators the temperature can vary from shelf to shelf; measure the actual temperature with a thermometer.

Chest freezer

The most common unit for long-term storage of royal jelly and pollen. Because the lid opens from the top, cold air does not spill out when it is opened, and the temperature stays more stable. In a power cut it also stays cold longer than an upright freezer.

Upright freezers and commercial cabinets

The shelved layout makes it easier to keep products organised; practical for frequently accessed stock. Frost-free models can show brief temperature fluctuations during defrost cycles; to protect delicate products from this, store them well sealed and in small portions.

Cold room

Suitable for large-scale royal jelly and pollen producers. A cold room should have a temperature logger and alarm system, and the time the door stays open should be kept short.

Portable cool boxes

In royal jelly harvesting, the product is collected at the apiary. To avoid leaving harvested royal jelly in the sun, use a compressor cool box running off a vehicle battery or an insulated box chilled with ice packs at the apiary. As soon as the product reaches home or the premises, transfer it straight to the refrigerator or freezer.

How are royal jelly and pollen frozen?

1. Portion it: Divide royal jelly into small, airtight, light-proof containers, each to be used or sold in one go. Opening and closing a large container repeatedly warms the product and exposes it to air each time.
2. Fill the container fully: There should be little air space in the container, and the lid must close tightly.
3. Label it: Write the product name, harvest date, batch number and freezing date.
4. Freeze quickly: Arrange the containers in the freezer without touching each other, so cold air can circulate. Stack them together only once they are completely frozen.
5. Thaw in a controlled way: Thaw frozen product slowly in the refrigerator. Do not refreeze thawed product.

An extra benefit of freezing pollen

As well as allowing fresh pollen to be stored, freezing also stops any insect and moth eggs in the pollen from developing. Pollen that is to be dried should first be cleaned, and drying should be done at low temperature. Dried pollen can be kept without refrigeration in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Storing combs with a freezer

In beekeeping, besides products, the freezer is also used to freeze honey combs or empty combs against wax moth. Wax moth eggs and larvae in a comb die after a few days in the freezer. For this job, however, use a unit separate from the food freezer; combs from the hive can carry dust, bee debris and traces of treatments. Royal jelly and pollen should not be kept in the same freezer as combs and frames.

What should you look for when choosing a cooling unit?

• Capacity: It should hold the amount of product from the busiest week of the harvest season; if the cabinet is overfilled, cold air does not circulate.
• Temperature control: Choose an adjustable thermostat with a digital display.
• Alarm and logging: In commercial production, an alarm that warns when the temperature rises and a temperature logger protect both the product and you.
• Energy consumption: A cooling appliance runs all year; energy efficiency matters in the long run.
• Placement: Put the appliance in a ventilated place out of the sun, with space behind it for air circulation.
• Power security: In areas with frequent power cuts, consider a generator or uninterruptible power solution.

Maintenance and hygiene

• Empty the cabinet regularly, wipe it out with lukewarm water and dry it; do not use scented cleaning products.
• Defrost freezers that ice up in good time; a thick layer of ice reduces efficiency.
• Check the door and lid seals; a leaking seal causes temperature fluctuations.
• Keep bee products away from strong-smelling foods (fish, onions, cheese); royal jelly and pollen can absorb odours.
• Check the thermometer weekly and keep records if necessary.

Common mistakes

• Leaving royal jelly in the sun at the apiary: The time between harvest and cooling should be as short as possible.
• Continually using product from a large container: Every opening warms the product and exposes it to air.
• Putting honey in the refrigerator: Unnecessary; honey crystallises faster at refrigerator temperature.
• Keeping combs and food in the same freezer: Not acceptable in terms of hygiene.
• Working without a thermometer: The display and the real temperature can differ.