Not Really! But Some Kinds of Bee Pollen Products Retain Their Full Potency Longer Than Others


Bee pollen is a rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. It's very nearly a perfect food not just for bees but also for people. But the fact is, bee pollen can eventually go bad.

Or at least the longer you keep it, the less beneficial it will be.

Bee hives don't come with air conditioning, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners. Food stored in the hive has to have a natural antioxidant content to keep it fresh.

Bee pollen is rich in antioxidants that fight spoilage. What gets forgotten about these antioxidants is, if they are used up fighting spoilage, they aren't available for human (or animal, or bee) nutrition. It's always best to keep any bee pollen product in a cool place, even in the refrigerator, where it is not exposed to light and heat.

Certain kinds of bee pollen products last longer than others. How long does bee pollen last?

    • Bee pollen capsules are sealed from air and oxidation. If you keep the bottle in a dark, cool, dry place, the contents will stay fresh for up to 3 years.
    • Bee pollen tablets last almost as long. The pollen in the tablets is a little more vulnerable to air and moisture than the capsules, but if you keep the bottle tightly closed between uses in a dark, cool, dry place, the contents will stay fresh for up to about 2 years.
    • Bee pollen sports bars usually keep for up to a year. The problem with sports bars made with bee pollen is that the pollen has been heated to make the bars, destroying some of the antioxidant content, and you only get about 1 gram of bee pollen in a sports bar, compared to 8 grams of bee pollen in a heaping teaspoon of bee pollen granules.
    • Bee pollen in dry pet foods is usually stable for about a year. Cats should receive only a small amount of bee pollen because their livers do not have the enzymes to do deal with large amounts of phytochemicals. Buy cat foods with bee pollens in small quantities to make sure they don't go bad.

How to Keep Bee Pollen

  • Bee pollen wafers made in low-heat, and raw honey "leather" with bee pollen, also keep for about a year. You get sugar along with the bee pollen, but it you just can't eat bee pollen raw, this is the way to go.
  • Granulated bee pollen is the way to get the full, unique flavor of the bee pollen and the full benefits of allergy desensitization. Granulated or powdered bee pollen has to be kept in the refrigerator, and you should not expect it to stay good for more than six months.

But if you use your bee pollen in smoothies, shakes, and on cereal, you don't have to worry about it going bad. You'll need another bottle long before the expiration date.

Bee pollen almost never "spoils." The real concern is enjoying bee pollen while it is still at its maximum potency. Keep bee pollen capsules on hand for times you can't get to the store, and always buy granulated bee pollen products from the refrigerator case or online from reputable vendors.