HDA dosage

The HDA (10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid, often abbreviated as 10-HDA) assay is an essential analysis for professionals in the beekeeping, nutrition, and food supplement industries. This specific unsaturated fatty acid is naturally present in royal jelly, where it plays a fundamental role as an indicator of freshness, purity, and quality.

The quantification of 10-HDA is therefore used as a criterion for standardizing and promoting beekeeping products. Its measurement allows manufacturers, distributors, and laboratories to guarantee the compliance of their products with international standards and market expectations.

Understanding HDA and its importance

10-HDA is a bioactive fatty acid characteristic of royal jelly. Its concentration is often considered the main quality marker of this natural product.

Roles and interests associated with HDA testing include:

• Verification of the authenticity of royal jelly (prevention of fraud and falsification)
• Determination of product freshness and stability
• Standardization of batches intended for food supplements
• Evaluation of the nutritional and functional value of finished products

Certain regulations and quality standards (particularly in Asia and Europe) set minimum 10-HDA levels for a product to be marketed under the name of pure royal jelly.

Analytical methods for HDA determination

The HDA assay is performed by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) , a reference technique for the analysis of organic acids and bioactive compounds.

This method has several advantages:

• High precision and reproducibility
• Ability to analyze complex matrices such as raw or processed royal jelly
• Speed ​​and reliability for routine quality control
• Adaptability to different types of samples (food products, capsules, solutions, combined formulations)

The use of HPLC guarantees rigorous monitoring of the quality of royal jelly while meeting international standards.

Sectors concerned by HDA dosage

10-HDA analysis applies to several areas:

• Beekeeping : quality control of raw and standardized royal jelly.
• Food supplements : verification of formulations based on royal jelly in powder, capsules or liquid solutions.
• Nutrition : development of functional products enriched with royal jelly.
• Scientific research : study of the bioactive properties and natural variations of 10-HDA.

Typically analyzed matrices

The 10-HDA assay can be applied to different matrices:

• Raw royal jelly
• Freeze-dried or powdered royal jelly
• Food supplements (capsules, tablets, liquid solutions)
• Food products enriched with royal jelly
• Beekeeping mixes containing royal jelly

Quality and compliance issues

The market value of royal jelly depends largely on its 10-HDA content. The issues related to this analysis are multiple:

• Authenticity and traceability : avoid fraud and guarantee product purity.
• Regulatory compliance : meeting the standards imposed by authorities and export markets.
• Standardization : offering consumers a homogeneous product of consistent quality.
• Commercial valuation : highlight a high 10-HDA rate as a differentiating argument.

YesWeLab support for your royal jelly analyses

At YesWeLab, we work with a network of partner laboratories specializing in physicochemical and nutritional analyses. Our partners, certified and accredited (ISO 17025, COFRAC), have validated methods for the accurate measurement of 10-HDA.

Our digital platform allows you to:

• Submit your samples online quickly
• Track your requests and analyses in real time
• Receive reliable and secure results, in line with regulatory and commercial expectations

Since 2020, many manufacturers, distributors and players in the beekeeping sector have entrusted us with their analyses to secure their products and strengthen consumer confidence.

Related analyses

• Fatty acid dosage 
• Profiling of total polyphenols
• Analysis of sugars (honey, bee products)
• Coumarin dosage
• Vitamin C Dosage