Reinventing the Honey Industry:

Editorial
Opportunities of the Stingless Bee
Mohd Zulkifli Mustafa1,4, Nik Soriani Yaacob2, Siti Amrah
Sulaiman3

Submitted: 16 Apr 2018 1

Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus,
Accepted: 27 May 2018 Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
Online:  30 Aug 2018
2
Department of Chemical Pathology, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
3
Integrative Medicine Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian Kelantan, Malaysia
4
Hospital USM, Health Campus, USM, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan,
Malaysia

To cite this article: Mustafa MZ, Yaacob NS, Sulaiman SA. Reinventing the honey industry: opportunities of the
stingless bee. Malays J Med Sci. 2018;25(4):1–5. https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2018.25.4.1

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.21315/mjms2018.25.4.1

Abstract
Honey is uniquely produced by honeybees (Apis sp.) and stingless bees (Meliponini sp.)
and exhibits tremendous medicinal properties such as antimicrobial, anticarcinogen and anti-
oxidant. However, it has not been included as a mainstream approach to disease management and
has been disregarded in the modern pharmaceutical era. The stingless bee, which is known locally
as lebah kelulut in Malaysia, is an important species that is well adapted for tropical countries and
has emerged as an alternative source of honey. The reinventing honey quality (RHQ) project was
introduced in 2012 to empower growth in the stingless bee industry, which has a direct impact
on the production of high-quality honey. The objectives of the project include transforming the
industry into a sustainable source of income for beekeepers, while simultaneously catalysing bee
conservation activities for plant and crop pollination, thus becoming a new medium for targeting
socio-economies and ecology.

Keywords: stingless bee, honey, socio-economy, complementary medicine

Malays J Med Sci. Jul–Aug 2018; 25(4): 1–5

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Malays J Med Sci. Jul–Aug 2018; 25(4): 1–5

Honey is uniquely produced by honeybees composition of stingless bee honey includes

(Apis sp.) and stingless bees (Meliponini sp.) sugars (fructose and glucose) with nearly zero
and exhibits tremendous medicinal properties hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). It also contains
such as anti-microbial, anti-carcinogen and anti- small amounts of other compounds, such as
oxidant. It is specially highlighted as a natural organic acids, phenolic compounds (eg., phenolic
remedy in the Holy Quran, as implied in Surah acids and flavonoids), proteins, amino acids
An-Nahl (‘the Bees’) in chapter 16, verse 69. (eg., phenylalanine, alanine, tyrosine, valine,
Despite the medicinal properties, honey has acetate and trigonelline), enzymes, vitamins
never been included within the mainstream and minerals (3). The polyphenolic content is
approach to disease management or classified nearly tenfold higher compared to other types
under complementary medicine (1). Bees also of honey. The honey has great potential for
act as plant pollinators, indirectly resulting in prevention of chronic diseases, such as cancer,
improved plant pollination and increased crop stroke, hypertension and diabetes, as measured
production by up to 40% (2), thus potentially by its ability to manipulate signalling pathway
providing additional income to beekeepers and of disease development (4). Recently we
their neighbourhoods, while increasing national showed that supplementation with honey from
agriculture products. the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama led to
In Malaysia, production of honey by enhancement in memory and learning in mice
honeybees, such as Apis melifera, has not and increased anti-obesity parameters in high fat
been profoundly successful due to the Varroa diet-induced obese rats, indicating the potential
dectructor mite outbreak of 1996 (1). Thus, role of honey in controlling obesity-associated
availability of local honey is completely problems.
dependent on honey hunters who obtain Stingless beekeeping began at the
feral honey from stinger honeybees, such as Malaysian Agricultural Research and
Tualang bees (Apis dorsata). The Tualang bees, Development Institute (MARDI) in 2007
which mainly nest in the jungle and far off the followed by a Universiti Sains Malaysia
ground, limit the implementation of standard workshop for kelulut honey production in 2010.
production procedures. Meanwhile, stingless In 2012, the Reinventing Honey Quality (RHQ)
bees (Meliponini sp.) or lebah kelulut which do project (led by the corresponding author) has
not have stingers, build nests in already existing brought the stingless beekeeping field to light,
cavities or hollowed out areas of trees, buildings transforming the stingless bee honey industry
and hives. This nesting behaviour provides the into a sustainable source of income for Malaysian
opportunity for stingless bees to be cultivated in beekeepers via premium honey production,
intensive farms with controlled environmental while simultaneously catalysing bee conservation
conditions or in homes in rural areas that activities, thus ensuring sustainability of bees for
implement standard operating procedures. plant pollination. The RHQ project, equipped
Thus, empowerment of today’s stingless bee with the artificial Mustafa-Hive (Meliponiculture
industry would have direct impact on production Using Split-able Throne within Air-jacketed
of high-quality honey, while also sustaining palace For Amplification-Hive), facilitates
pollination of crops and other plants, particularly colony expansion and health screening, while
to maintain biodiversity. The stingless bee simultaneously providing a habitat that can
is well adapted to tropical and subtropical be adapted to changing climatic conditions.
environments, such as Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, The Mustafa-Hive effectively promotes a more
Africa, Northern Australia and the Southeast hygienic honey production practice via in-door
Asian regions. Therefore, reinventing stingless harvest approach from systematically organised
bee honey industry in tropical countries could be farms (Figure 1). The system had survived
a new medium for targeting socio-economies and the first ever black soldier fly larvae infection
ecology. outbreak in 2016 that caused the loss of over
More than 38 stingless bee species RM1 million. The outbreak that was associated
have been identified in Malaysia but only with the El-Nino affected the colonies primarily
four species are commercially cultivated: in traditional log-hives, but no cases were
Geniotrigona thoracica, Heterotrigona itama, reported in the Mustafa-Hive rearing system.
Lepidotrigona terminata and Tetragonula Malaysia’s tropical climate, coupled with its
leviceps. The bees produce an average of 4 high humidity level and temperatures averaging
kg honey per colony each year. The major between 28 °C–30 °C, results in honey with

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 Editorial | Reinventing the honey industry via the stingless bee

high moisture content, causing fermentation such as gardening activities that enhance nectar
that produces a sour taste and foamy texture, supplies to the bees and healthy lifestyles.
which depreciates the value of Malaysian Additionally, the house compound is kept clean,
honey internationally. In response, the Honey which subsequently curbs dengue cases and
Interlinked Dehydration and Dispenser limits fogging activities that are also toxic to
Apparatus (HILDA) was invented under the bees. Several downstream products of honey and
RHQ project. Dehydrating the honey from 35% propolis have helped promote the beekeepers as
to 18% not only prevents fermentation but also entrepreneurs and provided additional income
raises both the quality and value of the final to the community. A survey indicated that
product. HILDA’s unique design represents 36% and 29% of stingless beekeepers generate
an integrated platform for hygienic honey additional income of RM833 and RM1,666
harvesting, water dehydration without a heating monthly, respectively. Hence, this industry
element and bottling. has contributed to holistic innovations that are
The stingless bee industry above has beneficial socio-economically and ecologically in
resulted in several spill-over impacts (Figure 2), Malaysian perspective (5).

Figure 1. Mustafa-Hive farm that provides a well-structured, intensive farm with systematic locking
that protects the hives from predators, bee enemies, monkeys, wild boars and thieves

Figure 2.  Summary of spill over impact of stingless bee industry

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Malays J Med Sci. Jul–Aug 2018; 25(4): 1–5

Productive yields of stingless bee honey are Corresponding Author

expected to influence the supply and demand
of the honey industry and becoming a new Dr Mohd Zulkifli Mustafa is a veterinary
commodity for the country. Stingless beekeeping surgeon with a PhD in neuroscience and
transformation programmes should increase currently serves as a lecturer and neuroscientist
investment towards strengthening honey product in the Department of Neurosciences, School of
chains from beekeepers that range from small, Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
traditional activities that are labour-intensive to His research interests revolve around molecular
huge, capital-intensive industrial processes. Hive neuroscience and bee cognition as well as social
identification and permit must be registered, innovation in the stingless beekeeping industry.
and the honey source should be traceable. This In alignment with the aim of establishing high
will possibly involve initiation of a mobile- quality multi-floral stingless bee honey in brain
HILDA in order to reach the rural areas to research, he has also contributed to training
ensure small-scale beekeepers’ participation in more than 2000 local beekeepers in Malaysia.
the transformation programme. Establishment Presently, he holds patents for the Mustafa-Hive
of a national institute that centralises the and HILDA system. His significant contributions
transformation programme of stingless in the field have earned him the National
beekeeping is needed, with participation Agriculture Innovation Award 2015, Gold
from all relevant communities, organisations, Medal at Malaysian Agriculture Invention Show
academia and governments. Planning should 2015, State Entrepreneur Icon 2017, Excellent
also be directed towards specific rearing Staff Award USM 2017 and Best Paper Award,
guidelines, farm and honey certifications as well ICHSST, UK 2017.
as upgrading marketing aspects, especially the
facilitation phase, involving export requirement
specifications. National positioning of kelulut
Authors’ Contributions
honey using neuromarketing tools is now
Conception and design: MZM, NSY
important in rebranding traditional stingless
Drafting of the article: MZM
bee honey at international market. Introduction Critical revision of the article for important intellectual
of MS2683 and MS2679 2018 certification for a content: MZM, NSY, SAS
Malaysian standard of stingless beekeeping and Final approval of the article: MZM, NSY, SAS
honey content are among the big achievements
in this field.
To support colony breeding, a genetic
Correspondence
repository of stingless bee species should be
Dr Mohd Zulkifli Mustafa
assembled to preserve the genetic identification
Lecturer and neuroscientist
features of local stingless bees as well as
PhD (Universiti Sains Malaysia),
for authentication purposes and queen bee MD (Veterinary Medicine) (Universiti Putra Malaysia),
production. Identification of local and unique Department of Neurosciences,
kelulut factors and entomology signatures in School of Medical Sciences,
honey are also crucial to improve the grade of Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
stingless bee honey. Analysis of contents and 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
efficacy test on honey should consider sampling Tel: +09 7676300
of honey produced in an area of land with E-mail: [email protected]
favourable tree species, such as coconut (Cocos
nucifera), acacia (Acacia mangium), rubber References
(Hevea brasiliensis), durian (Durio zibethinus)
and air mata pengantin (Antigonon leptopus) in 1. Azmi WA, Seng CT, Solihin NS. Pollination
the localities. Areas that are surrounded by these efficiency of the stingless bee, Heterotrigona
types of trees have shown notable achievements itama (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on chili (Capsicum
in honey yields, which can be introduced as annuum) in greenhouse. J. Trop. Plant Physiol.
plants of choice for ‘beescaping’ in the future. 2016;8:1–11.
Thus, upholding the stingless bee honey
industry among communities serves as a holistic
approach for a sustainable source of honey that
can also benefit socio-economies, species survival
and long-term ecological preservation.

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 Editorial | Reinventing the honey industry via the stingless bee

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