Royal jelly is the protein-rich glandular secretion produced by worker bees to feed larvae and the queen, harvested by grafting young larvae into artificial queen cups and collecting the deposited jelly before it is consumed.
In trade practice
Because royal jelly degrades rapidly at ambient temperature, it must be chilled or frozen within hours of harvest and kept in an unbroken cold chain through processing, export and delivery. Buyers should verify temperature logs covering the full journey and request certificates of analysis for key quality markers such as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid content. A common failure is inadequate cold storage at the production apiary before consolidation for export.
In a specification
Specifications should state the required storage temperature, minimum content of key bioactive acids as determined by an accredited method, and the maximum time permitted between harvest and freezing.