Stingless bee honey and its bioactive content.

The stingless bee (Meliponini) industry is a rapidly emerging industry in tropical/sub-tropical regions, and stingless beekeeping is rising in popularity, with key drivers being improved hive management and commercial products including honey, colonies and pollination services.

Although stingless bees produce little honey per hive compared to Apis mellifera, stingless bee honey has a lengthy history of being consumed for its distinctive flavour and purported beneficial properties. These claims have been corroborated by our discovery of the sucrose isomer and low GI disaccharide trehalulose as a major component of these honeys. Our recent research has established the origin of this rare sugar through feeding and storage experiments, and we have examined honey from different habitats. The sugar profiles and organic acid composition of these honeys has been analysed providing data for understanding its unique flavour and to support future development of an Australian food standard for this high value product.