The composition of propolis differs considerably by region, depending on which trees and shrubs are available.

Why that complicates assessment

Propolis is collected plant resin. There is no single standard composition against which it can be measured.

This also means research on one propolis does not automatically apply to another — a point often skipped over in claims about effect.

What the beekeeper can assess

• Origin: From a screen or scraped from the hive — this determines purity most strongly
• Purity: Wood, paint, wax particles, dirt
• Colour and smell: Differ by region and source
• Consistency: Brittle cold, sticky warm

What a laboratory determines

• Wax content: A high wax content lowers the value
• Content of active constituents
• Botanical origin from the composition
• Pesticide residues — propolis takes up fat-soluble substances

The residue point

This weighs more heavily than with most other products. Propolis is resinous and takes up fat-soluble substances — the same substances that accumulate in wax.

It is therefore not harvested during a treatment period.

What no kit can repair

The greatest quality factor is the collection method, and that lies before any analysis.

Propolis from a screen is clean and usable as a product. Scraped propolis is mixed with wood and paint, and no process makes a pure product of that.

Recording

Note per batch: apiary, period, harvest date and collection method. That last should be known to the buyer.

Claims

In most countries it is prohibited to claim that a product treats disease. Describing what it is and how it was made is a sounder basis.