The expanded accreditation gives honey producers and exporters more testing options locally, potentially reducing the cost and delays of sending samples overseas.
ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia has expanded its accredited honey-testing services to cover 23 pesticide residues and three heavy metals, bringing more of the checks needed by producers, exporters and food-control authorities within the country.
The Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise (ECAE) announced the expanded scope on 7 October 2026, following accreditation by the Ethiopian Accreditation Service. The additions bring its accredited honey-testing parameters to 34.
According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the laboratory underwent assessment in July, with accreditation granted in early October. UNIDO says Ethiopian businesses have been sending samples overseas for these services, adding cost and delays.
The expansion received support through the Global Market Access Programme in Ethiopia, which focuses on the honey and beeswax value chain. Funded by Norway and Germany, the programme supported analytical equipment, reference materials, specialist training, method validation and laboratory quality systems.
The newly accredited tests complement existing checks including moisture, acidity, sugar composition and hydroxymethylfurfural, or HMF, according to ECAE.
This broadens the questions the laboratory can answer: measurements of honey composition and quality address different requirements from tests for chemical contaminants.
Accreditation recognises competence to perform specified activities, as the Ethiopian Accreditation Service explains. It does not certify every consignment of honey or automatically establish compliance with every export destination’s requirements.
For pesticide testing, the substances covered and the concentrations a laboratory can reliably measure are particularly relevant. The European Commission’s pesticides database, for example, organises maximum residue levels by pesticide and food product. Exporters need to match the requested test panel and analytical capability to the requirements applying to their product.
The Ethiopian development comes amid wider efforts to improve testing services in the region. In July 2026, FAO brought laboratory specialists from five East African countries to KEPHIS in Nairobi for practical training in pesticide-residue and aflatoxin analysis, including sample preparation, calibration and proficiency testing.
UNIDO presents lower costs and quicker access to results as potential benefits of the Ethiopian investment. Its announcement does not provide measured changes in fees or turnaround times.