IMHSI’s field research team collects Mad Honey samples from diverse harvesting regions across the Himalayas. Each sample undergoes comprehensive chemical and biological analysis — including grayanotoxin (GTX) profiling and physicochemical characterisation — to build a reference dataset that did not previously exist in peer-reviewed form.
The resulting sample categorisation system supports quality assessment, safe consumption guidance, and the development of IMHSI’s traceability and international standards framework. It is the foundational dataset from which certification criteria, batch documentation requirements, and export compliance standards are built.
Samples are collected from primary Mad Honey harvesting districts in Nepal, including Lamjung, Kaski, Gorkha, Myagdi, and Mustang. Collection covers both spring (April–May) and autumn (October–November) harvest windows, capturing seasonal variation in grayanotoxin content.
Each sample is documented with harvest location (GPS coordinates and district), harvest date, altitude, colony identification where available, and harvest team identity. Documentation is maintained through the full analysis chain to ensure traceability from field to laboratory result.
Samples undergo HPLC-based grayanotoxin profiling (GTX-I, GTX-II, GTX-III), physicochemical analysis (moisture content, HMF, diastase activity, sugar profile, acidity), and preliminary bioactive screening (antioxidant activity, antimicrobial potential). All analyses are conducted at accredited partner laboratories.
Based on laboratory results, samples are systematically categorised using standardised criteria across three dimensions:
Classification by total grayanotoxin concentration and GTX-I/III ratio, establishing potency tiers that inform safe consumption thresholds and labelling requirements.
Source categorisation by district, altitude band, and harvest season, building the geographic reference data needed for Geographical Indication protection.
Assessment against standard honey quality parameters (moisture, HMF, diastase), establishing baseline quality benchmarks specific to cliff honey from Apis laboriosa.
Contact info@imhsinstitute.org to enquire about research findings or collaboration on sample collection in specific harvest regions.
See our Rat Toxicity Study and Standardization of Cliff Honey Parameters programmes.
For general enquiries, visit our Contact page.