Breeding Bees and Trees: Quality Manuka Honey from New Zealand

Published 2019년 10월 23일

Manuka honey is a popular product due to its potent antibacterial properties. Quality is ensured by MGO and UMF standards and the demand for this type of honey is rising in the international market. The product is gaining a lot of popularity in East Asia.

Manuka honey (also spelled as Mānuka honey) is a specific variety of honey that originates from New Zealand and Australia. It is made by bees that get their nectar from flowers from the Manuka bush, which is indigenous to New Zealand. The taste is earthy and caramelly, not as sweet as regular floral honey. The honey made with the Manuka flowers is claimed to contain powerful non-peroxide antibacterial properties. This makes the honey a highly sought-after product, as it is believed it helps with colds and acne, strengthens the immune system, and increases energy levels.

Ensuring Quality: MGO and UMF

The antibacterial properties of Manuka honey are measured using the term MGO, which stands for methylglyoxal. Methylglyoxal is a naturally occurring antibacterial compound. The higher the MGO in the honey, the more potent its antibacterial properties are and the more expensive the honey is. However, MGO can also be added to honey after its cultivation. Therefore, to ensure quality and purity, the UMF, which stands for Unique Manuka Factor, measures dihydroxyacetone (DHA), leptosperin, and methylglyoxal. These three compounds together give Manuka honey its health benefits, explains Yobees Honey, a New Zealand producer of Manuka honey.

There are different grades of UMF, which correspond to different MGO content. The higher the UMF grade, the more potent the honey is. The table below shows MGO content and its UMF equivalent.

Adulteration

A major problem in the Manuka honey industry is adulteration. As honey with a high UMF grade enjoys a hefty price premium, some traders mix Manuka honey with other floral honeys and sell it as potent Manuka honey. The UMF standard is only given to companies that have undergone rigorous testing and thus aims to combat this adulteration. Companies themselves also have measures in place to ensure that their honey is only pure Manuka honey. Yobees Honey, for example, breeds both its own bees and Manuka trees to ensure high-quality honey. They also prefer to export their honey packaged rather than in bulk, to avoid adulteration in later stages. The company only sells in bulk to trusted buyers, such as Yamada Bee Farm in Japan.

Popularity of Manuka Honey in Asia

Manuka Honey is very popular in East Asia because of its medicinal properties. According to Johann Ander from Yobees Honey, the honey does well in this region as there already is a strong preference for using natural and herbal medicine. He compares buying Manuka honey to buying champagne or scotch: Manuka honey is a premium product of which the quality is closely correlated with its origin. The product is mainly marketed to health stores and apothecaries as a healthy addition to people’s daily lives. Demand in Europe and the United States is also increasing.