Honey from the airport’s bees has once again proved its quality. In this year’s Czech Honey competition, organised annually by the Czech Beekeepers Association, it retained its gold medal with a perfect score of 100 points.
"We keep bees at the airport primarily for biomonitoring purposes. They help us monitor the state of the environment around the airport and provide valuable information about the quality of the local ecosystem. This makes it all the more gratifying that the honey from our bees consistently stands up to rigorous expert assessment,” says Soňa Hykyšová, Director for Environment, Sustainability and ESG.
Prague Airport has regularly entered samples of its honey in the competition since 2013. The judging panel assesses it in four categories. It focuses on the product’s physical and chemical properties, the accuracy and completeness of the label details, compliance of the labelling with legislative requirements, and the overall aesthetic impression. The assessment also includes laboratory analyses, which measure factors such as the honey's water and sucrose content, as well as its electrical conductivity.
By analysing pollen, Prague Airport also monitors the impact of its operations on the environment. The pollen, serving as a bioindicator of environmental pollution, is sent for analysis to the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, where it is tested for heavy metals and organic substances.