Stingless bee honeys: the missing piece in harmonized authenticity and quality standards

Abstract

Stingless bee honeys are among the most chemically diverse and bioactive honeys yet remain largely excluded from international authenticity standards centered on Apis mellifera . This exclusion may limit equitable market participation and the sustainable valorization of indigenous and culturally embedded meliponiculture systems in tropical regions. We propose a harmonized framework integrating standardized sampling, multi-omic markers, functional authenticity, and inclusive governance.