Abstract
<jats:p>The article presents the results of monitoring the organoleptic and physicochemical indicators of bee-collected pollen depending on the natural and climatic conditions of Ukraine. The research material consisted of 126 samples of bee-collected pollen collected from regions representing Polissia, the Forest-Steppe, the Steppe, and the Ukrainian Carpathians. Quality assessment was carried out in accordance with the requirements of DSTU 3127–95, taking into account the provisions of the international standard ISO 24382:2023 and applying methods of variation statistics (all differences were considered statistically significant at p<0.05). It was established that 100 % of the examined samples complied with the regulatory requirements for organoleptic characteristics (external appearance, color, taste, specific odor, and consistency of granules with a mass of 5–20 mg).The moisture content of bee-collected pollen from all natural and climatic zones did not exceed the maximum permissible level of 10 %; however, the highest mean values were recorded in the Polissia (9.01 %) and Steppe (8.97 %) zones. In the Forest-Steppe and Carpathian zones, a lower mean moisture content was recorded – 8.52 % and 8.55 %, respectively. Analysis of active acidity revealed clear interzonal differences: the lowest pH values were characteristic of the Forest-Steppe zone (4.82), while in the Steppe zone, the indicator was 4.96. In the Polissia (5.08 %) and Carpathian (5.17) zones, the parameter approached the maximum permissible level (pH≤5.3), creating a potential risk of reduced microbiological stability in individual product batches. Overall across Ukraine, the mean active acidity value was 5.01, and 7–9 % of the examined samples failed to comply with the regulatory requirements for the pH parameter (having pH>5.3). The crude protein content depended significantly on the natural and climatic zone of pollen origin and was characterized by substantial inter- and intrazonal variability. The lowest mean protein values were established in the Polissia zone (16.4 %), and the highest – in the Forest-Steppe zone (26.8 %), reflecting the influence of the botanical composition of pollen, agroecological conditions, and the diversity of pollen resources. In the Steppe zone, the crude protein content was 19.3 %, and in the Carpathian zone – 23.1 %. On average across Ukraine, the crude protein content was 21.5 %, which corresponds to literature data, but a significant proportion of samples, especially from Polissia and the Steppe, did not reach the minimum regulatory values of DSTU. The obtained results confirm the appropriateness of a zonal approach to assessing the quality and nutritional value of bee-collected pollen and indicate the decisive role of technological factors of post-harvest processing in ensuring its compliance with standards. Comprehensive monitoring of physicochemical parameters combined with the harmonization of national requirements with international standards is a necessary condition for increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian bee-collected pollen.</jats:p>