GOST 28888-90 PDF

Full title and description

GOST 28888-90 — "Молочко маточное пчелиное. Технические условия" (English title: "Queen bee larval food / Royal jelly. Specifications"). A Soviet-era national standard that defined technical requirements, acceptance rules, test methods, storage, packaging and transportation provisions for raw royal jelly intended for food processing and related uses.

Abstract

GOST 28888-90 establishes terminology, quality and safety requirements, sampling and laboratory test methods, marking and packaging rules, and storage/transport conditions for royal jelly (queen bee larval food). The document was issued in 1990/1991 and later superseded by a modernized version (GOST 28888-2017) that introduced updated requirements and expanded test methods for use in food and pharmaceutical supply chains.

General information

• Status: Replaced / superseded (withdrawn from active use; superseded by GOST 28888-2017).
• Publication date: Introduced 01 July 1991 (approved by the State Committee for Standards on 29 December 1990).
• Publisher: State Committee for Standards of the USSR (Gosstandart); later maintained in national catalogues by successor bodies (Rosstandart / national standards organizations).
• ICS / categories: 65.140 — Beekeeping (agriculture / bee products).
• Edition / version: Original designation GOST 28888-90 (1990 standard edition).
• Number of pages: 13 pages (original text).

Scope

The standard applies to raw royal jelly (queen bee larval food) collected and prepared for industrial processing for food and pharmaceutical purposes. It covers definitions; organoleptic, physico‑chemical and microbiological quality indicators; sampling and laboratory methods for acceptance and control; rules for packaging, marking, storage and transport; and documentation required at delivery and acceptance.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and product designation (nomenclature of royal jelly and related terms).
• Mandatory quality indicators: organoleptic properties and basic physico‑chemical parameters (expressed as acceptance criteria for raw product).
• Microbiological safety limits and hygienic requirements for products destined for food and pharmaceutical use.
• Sampling procedures and laboratory test methods for routine quality control and acceptance.
• Packaging, marking and label information required for storage, transport and commercial circulation.
• Storage and transport conditions (temperature, humidity, shelf handling) to preserve product quality.
• Acceptance rules, accompanying documentation and criteria for rejecting nonconforming lots.

Typical use and users

GOST 28888-90 (historically) was used by beekeepers, honey processors and packers, food manufacturers, producers of nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical raw materials, quality control and testing laboratories, and regulatory/inspection bodies that monitored compliance for royal jelly intended for commercial use. Today it is of archival and historical reference value; contemporary production and compliance follow the later replacement standard.

Related standards

The standard is linked to and referenced with a number of other GOSTs for bee products, food safety and packaging. Key related documents include the later replacement GOST 28888-2017 (Royal jelly — Specifications) and other beekeeping/product standards such as GOSTs for propolis and pollen, national honey standards, and applicable packaging and testing standards. (Examples of related documents cited in the original text include various GOSTs on food packaging, testing methods and honey/beekeeping product specifications.)

Keywords

GOST 28888-90, royal jelly, queen bee larval food, bee products, beekeeping, technical conditions, product specification, sampling, test methods, storage, packaging, food raw material

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: GOST 28888-90 is the 1990 Soviet-era technical standard that specified requirements and methods for raw royal jelly (queen bee larval food) intended for industrial processing and commercial use.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers product definition and designation, organoleptic and physico‑chemical quality requirements, microbiological safety, sampling and laboratory test methods, packaging, marking, storage and transport, and acceptance rules for raw royal jelly.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Historically: beekeepers, processors of bee products, food and pharmaceutical manufacturers, QA/QC laboratories and regulatory authorities. Today it is primarily used as a historical/reference document; operational users reference the updated replacement standard.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: GOST 28888-90 has been superseded. The updated standard GOST 28888-2017 (Royal jelly — Specifications) was introduced for modern use (effective 01 January 2019) and replaces the 1990 edition.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It belongs to the family of beekeeping and bee‑product standards within the GOST system (ICS 65.140). Related standards in that family cover honey, pollen, propolis and other bee products, as well as associated food and packaging test methods.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Royal jelly; queen bee larval food; bee products; beekeeping; technical specification; sampling; test methods; packaging; storage; food safety.