AI-powered honey-testing laboratory will offer new insights into bee health

Abu Dhabi laboratory aims to establish industry-leading honey quality and safety standards

The UAE's first fully equipped honey-testing laboratory is using artificial intelligence to ensure the product's quality and discover more about the health of bees.

Health technology company M42, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, has launched the laboratory at the Central Testing Laboratory at the Masdar City sustainability and innovation hub.

The laboratory offers a comprehensive suite of tests to assess honey quality and detect adulteration that could reduce the honey's nutritional value and therapeutic benefits.

“Honey holds significant cultural and economic value in the UAE, similar to the importance of dates,” said Abdulla Al Muaini, executive director of the central testing laboratory at the Quality and Conformity Council.

Abdulla Al Muaini, executive director of the central testing laboratory at Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council. Victor Besa / The National

“By establishing this advanced testing facility with M42, we aim to support local producers and enhance the market positioning of Abu Dhabi honey on a global scale,” he said.

M42 said the laboratory uses cutting-edge technology, including advanced data collection methods, large language models, machine learning, proprietary data systems, and an AI-enhanced lab information system to help assess honey quality and potentially detect “any form of adulteration the honey might have undergone”.

The tests cover honey authenticity, sugar content, moisture levels and acidity to maintain rigorous standards essential for consumer confidence and industry integrity.

The comprehensive tests look at honey authenticity, sugar content, moisture levels and acidity. Victor Besa / The National

Albarah Elkhani, senior vice president of operations at M42, said artificial intelligence gives the laboratory a competitive edge.

“AI, or what we refer to as LLMs, serves as a tool to enhance operational efficiency,” he said. “We streamline our processes by automating tasks and integrating our data and technology, thereby reducing non-value-added steps.”

Mr Elkhani said the scope of the investigations and the extensive data gathered during honey testing were paramount, and the comprehensive approach to honey testing could serve a bigger ecological purpose.

“By supporting and understanding the composition of honey, we're able to understand if the bees are in danger and understand the biodiversity in bees,” Mr Elkhani said.

“If we understand if there are pesticides or antibiotics, that all goes back to the health of the bees and the biodiversity of the bees, so these things are all interlinked.”

At Abu Dhabi's first AI-enabled honey testing centre in Masdar City, multiple samples are tested simultaneously. Victor Besa / The National

In recent years concern has grown about the global decline of honeybee populations.

Though they can be overlooked in the grand scheme of wildlife, bees play a crucial role in the world's food security by helping to pollinate fruit, vegetables and nuts.

The use of pesticides, continuing habitat destruction, air pollution and global warming are often cited as factors in the overall decline of bee populations, though research is continuing.

The collaboration between M42 and ADQCC, signed at Cop28 in Dubai, aims to support local honey producers and enhance the global market positioning of Abu Dhabi honey by meeting local and international standards, and fostering trust and confidence among consumers and stakeholders.