Cranfield University and The Source Plus Limited AAKTP 23_24 Part 2

A food company is embedding advanced pesticide monitoring directly into its honey production line to catch chemical residues before products reach supermarket shelves. Honey bees forage across large areas, picking up agricultural pesticides that can accumulate in hive products. Current testing often happens after honey is packed, meaning contaminated batches must be discarded or recalled. This project moves detection earlier in the process, integrating real-time monitoring technology into the company's existing operations. The goal is to catch problems during production, not after. If the system works, the company can guarantee that its honey and bee products meet UK and international pesticide limits without relying on end-of-line lab tests. That opens access to export markets with stricter regulations and reduces waste from rejected batches. For consumers, it means a more reliable assurance that the honey they buy contains no illegal pesticide residues. This is a commercial application project, not fundamental science. It adapts existing monitoring technology to a specific production environment. Success would be measured in regulatory compliance, market access, and product safety—not in new scientific knowledge.