Melissopalynology is the microscopic examination of pollen grains in honey to determine and verify its botanical and geographical origin, supporting monofloral claims and detecting adulteration or mislabelling.
In trade practice
An accredited laboratory prepares an acetolysed pollen slide from a honey sample and identifies pollen types under a microscope, producing a pollen spectrum report. The relative frequency of each pollen type is compared against reference databases for the declared origin region. Buyers use the report to verify monofloral claims and to challenge lots where the declared origin is inconsistent with the pollen profile. A common mistake is relying solely on melissopalynology without complementary isotope or sugar analysis, as some adulterants leave the pollen profile intact.
In a specification
A specification for a monofloral honey may require a melissopalynology report confirming that the dominant pollen type meets the threshold conventionally accepted for that variety, issued by a named accredited laboratory.