Beeswax is one of the most important products for the well-being of bee colonies. The wax glands of young worker bees produce beeswax, which serves as a building material for honeycomb construction. Beekeepers using hives with mobile frames mainly utilize local beeswax to make foundations. Any paraffin addition represents adulteration, resulting in a high degree of contamination. During the preparation of re-used beeswax, losses during the process may instigate producers to add cheaper, wax-like substances like paraffin and tallow. This article presents a systematic investigation of the quality of beeswax foundation from six major producers in Vojvodina, Serbia, by applying the classic analytical procedure for the determination of selected physicochemical parameters and instrumental gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection (FTIR–ATR) spectroscopy techniques. FTIR–ATR detected possible paraffin and beef tallow in 72 foundation sheet samples. This technique was complemented with GC–MS. This analysis revealed that paraffin content ranged between 19.75 and 85.68%, while no tallow was detected over the two-year period. Two sheets from each manufacturer were placed into wired Langstroth–Ruth frames and placed in beehives. The construction, based on built cells, was monitored every 24 h. Evaluating newly inserted sheets proved that without quality nectar, there is no intensive building, regardless of adulteration.

Food systems are becoming increasingly complex due to globalization, extended supply chains, emerging food fraud practices, and growing consumer demand for transparency and authenticity. In this context, physical chemistry plays a crucial role in understanding the molecular and physicochemical properties of foods and transforming analytical information into practical tools for food integrity, safety, and quality assurance. This presentation explores the contribution of modern physical chemistry approaches to the evaluation of food authenticity and consumer trust, with particular emphasis on non-destructive analytical techniques and digital innovation. Spectroscopic methods such as Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) and Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI), combined with chemometric and artificial intelligence-based data analysis, are increasingly being applied for rapid characterization of food matrices, detection of adulteration, assessment of quality parameters, and traceability studies. Special attention will be given to applications in honey and olive oil value chains, where molecular fingerprinting and physicochemical profiling can support the identification of botanical/varietal and geographical origin, detection of fraudulent practices, and development of more transparent supply chains. The presentation will further discuss the integration of portable analytical devices, digital spectral databases, and data-driven approaches as emerging tools for realtime food authentication and quality monitoring. Beyond analytical performance, the presentation highlights the broader societal and regulatory relevance of physical chemistry tools in strengthening food integrity systems, supporting evidence-based policies, enhancing market transparency, and increasing consumer confidence. The transition “from molecules to market” illustrates how molecular-level information can be translated into practical solutions that contribute to safer, more sustainable, and more trustworthy food systems.

Albanian olive genetic resources remain under-characterised despite their potential for differentiated oil production. We evaluated 11 authenticated cultivars conserved in the Vlorë germplasm collection under common field, maturity and standardised industrial three-phase extraction conditions. Phenolics profile of those cultivars was quantified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and fatty-acid composition was determined by gas chromatography with flame-ionisation detection (GC-FID). Also, fruit moisture and oil content were analysed in maturity index 3. All these analytical parameters were integrated through univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Cultivar factor significantly affected every trait. Total quantified phenolics ranged from 296.5 mg kg⁻¹ in ‘U.K. Berat’ to 791.0 mg kg⁻¹ in ‘Managjel FV’; the latter was oleocanthal-rich, whereas ‘U.H. Himare’, ‘Pulazeqin’, ‘Ulliri i Kuq’ and ‘Kotruvsi’ showed distinctive oleacein-, oleuropein-aglycone/oleomissional-, ligstroside-aglycone/tyrosol-, and luteolin/hydroxytyrosol-rich profiles, respectively. Oleic acid ranged from 65.36% in ‘Kotruvsi’ to 79.92% in ‘Unafka’, which also showed the highest oleic/linoleic ratio. All cultivar means in this study exceeded the 250 mg kg⁻¹ screening reference for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)-related phenolic content, thereby showcasing the potential of Albanian monovarietal oils with respect to their health properties. Multivariate analyses provided complementary chemical and technological classification rather than a single quality ranking. These cultivar fingerprints provide a basis for conservation, breeding, authenticity assessment and future Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)/Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) valorisation.

Background The apiculture sector is facing severe challenges, and the honey market health is generally low. Whereas some countries have a positive honey trade balance, the self-sufficiency with honey in the EU is a low as 63% and there are suspicion of fraud with cheap honey imports, deteriorating the business economy like a vicious circle. Given that policies typically aim to regulate markets either directly or indirectly, it was found pertinent to identify examples of policies that are perceived as either being beneficial or deteriorating for a thriving apiculture sector, for the purpose of establishing a basis for sharing these examples via policy recommendations. Method An international, web-based survey using open-ended questions was designed to gather opinions on policies perceived as positively or negatively influencing the health of the honey market. The questionnaire allowed respondents to list up to three examples each of positive and negative policies. Members of the COST Action 22105 BeSafeBeeHoney project, were encouraged to assist in gathering responses. Results Seventeen responses containing 74 policy examples were collected from 13 countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Kosovo, Italy, Serbia, Spain, Slovakia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. The provided policy examples were compiled and organised in a spreadsheet for further grouping and sorting using various criteria. The 13 countries were categorised into three groups based on positive, slightly negative, or negative honey trade balances. Conclusions Qualitative analyses for patterns in responses reflected a general perception of three decisive policy areas, namely i) subsidisation, ii) product classification and labelling, and iii) regulations governing pesticides and veterinary medicine. Both positive and deteriorating policy examples were given for these issues. However, our research highlights fundamental challenges within the sector resulting from irregular market mechanisms, with indications that the predominant market actors operate largely beyond public oversight, contributing to concerns about effective regulation and control.

Background Honey market health indicators, such as production, consumption, and trade balance, exhibit notable variation across countries. Given that policy objectives typically aim to regulate markets either directly or indirectly, it was found pertinent to examine whether correlations can be established between honey market health metrics and policies perceived as beneficial or detrimental to the apiculture sector. Method An open, international, web-based survey was designed to gather opinions on policies perceived as positively or negatively influencing the health of the honey market, based on the premise that a healthy honey market is fundamental for a thriving apiculture sector. The survey, created using Google Forms, included only one mandatory question, namely the respondents’ country, and allowed participants to list up to three examples each of positive and negative policies. Members of the BeSafeBeeHoney project, COST Action 22105, were encouraged to assist in gathering responses, ideally from beekeepers’ associations within their countries, though all responses were welcome. Results Sixteen survey responses containing 72 policy examples were collected from 13 countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Kosovo, Italy, Serbia, Spain, Slovakia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. Of these, one response was gathered via interview. The policy example responses were compiled and organized in a spreadsheet for further grouping and sorting using various criteria. The 13 countries were categorised into three groups based on positive, slightly negative, or negative honey trade balances. Conclusions A quantitative analysis of survey responses did not establish a connection between honey trade balances and national policies. Qualitative analyses reflected a general perception of three decisive policy areas, namely i) subsidisation, ii) product classification and labelling, and iii) regulations governing pesticides and veterinarian medicine. Overall, our research highlights challenges within the sector resulting from irregular market mechanisms, with indications that the predominant market channels operate largely beyond public oversight, contributing to concerns about effective regulation and control.