The National Science Foundation (NSF) Award #2327747, titled 'I-Corps: Determination of Syrup Adulterants and Geographical and Floral Origin of Honey Using Chemometrics,' provided a $50,000 research grant to Dr. Gerard Dumancas (technical lead and PI) with three main objectives: 1) Conducting customer discovery to identify the primary challenges in verifying honey product authenticity; 2) Analyzing the honey industry ecosystem and identifying various customer segments involved in honey authentication; and 3) Developing a prototyping plan for the proposed technological innovation. The key findings from this project are as follows:

Goal 1: By the conclusion of the seven-week national I-Corps program, the team had interviewed 108 individuals to assess the commercial viability of the proposed honey authentication technology. Following the program, one European company specializing in organic honey production and the largest honeycomb producer in Europe was also interviewed. Additionally, Dr. Gerard Dumancas (technical lead) and Dr. Riddhiman Medhi (entrepreneurial lead) attended the Hive Life Conference in Sevierville, TN, from January 4-6, 2024, where they interviewed 21 potential customers, mainly local beekeepers and small honey companies. They also participated in the American Beekeeping Conference in New Orleans, LA, from January 9-12, 2024, interviewing 28 attendees from academia, industry, and non-profit organizations. On September 7, 2024, Dr. Medhi attended the Philadelphia Honey Festival, where he interviewed 10 individuals, including members of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild and owners of small honey businesses.

Goal 2: The team engaged with various customer segments, including large honey packers and suppliers, honey exporters, government/private authentication agencies, and beekeepers of all sizes. Contacts were gathered through honey organizations, online directories, referrals, and conference attendance.

Goal 3: A budget revision request for a miniaturized spectrophotometric device was submitted and approved by the NSF Program Officer. Once the device arrives, the team plans to develop a multivariate calibration model to assess honey authenticity. Currently, a graduate student is being trained to use the device for research on honey authenticity.

From the interviews, honey packers emerged as a key potential customer segment, as they conduct more testing than other groups. It was noted that different countries have varying requirements for honey and adulteration testing; for example, Canada and European nations place greater emphasis on these tests compared to the US. Adulteration testing is often performed by third-party labs in Germany or Texas and is seen as costly and cumbersome. Consequently, small beekeepers are generally deterred from testing due to expenses but may be interested in testing for nutritional information. Partnerships with honey councils or organizations were identified as potential avenues to introduce the technology. Beekeepers value product purity, with small producers focusing on moisture and color testing but typically avoiding adulteration tests due to high costs. Conversely, larger producers conduct adulteration tests but find the current processes cumbersome. Honey packers, who source from various suppliers, prioritize testing, though costs can be prohibitive for those not testing or burdensome for those who are. The price for adulteration testing typically ranges from $200 to $500 per sample, with some packers spending between $25,000 and $500,000 annually. Portable honey authentication devices are of particular interest to large producers and packers, as they promise significant cost and time savings.

The primary customer archetype for our proposed honey adulteration testing device is large honey producer-packers. These customers need regular testing to verify the authenticity of their products, which they sell to major supermarkets and grocery chains. They also source honey from local beekeepers and import it from countries like Brazil and Canada. Typically, they operate their own packing facilities with around 5-20 employees.

Inspired by this project, Dr. Dumancas developed a course titled 'Chemistry Entrepreneurship' at the University of Scranton in Fall 2023. The course, which included seven students, focused on experiential learning related to customer discovery and product-market fit for various chemistry innovations. Students engaged directly with stakeholders, including potential customers, partners, and experts. Over the 15-week course, teams were given a selection of chemistry innovations and technologies, covering areas such as novel water pollution analysis methods, simple food adulteration detection techniques, the use of mobile applications and modern communication technologies to address poverty and enhance education, artificial intelligence applications for sustainability challenges, modern chemistry techniques for detecting Lyme disease and diabetes, and sniffing technologies for improved explosive trace detection. Additionally, a patent is currently under review for a system to analyze honey (United States Patent and Trademark Office, Application No. 63/596,466, Attorney Dockey No. 187398-3018, Nov. 6, 2023).

The next steps involve creating a multivariate calibration model to assess honey authenticity with the miniaturized spectrophotometric device. The team is also considering the possibility of launching a fundable company, but additional work is necessary before making that decision. Ongoing customer discovery and further technical research will help develop a well-researched, commercially viable business model canvas.

Last Modified: 10/24/2024
Modified by: Gerard Dumancas