Manuka Honey

Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey produced from the nectar of the mānuka tree, Leptospermum scoparium. The honey is commonly sold as an alternative medicine. There is no conclusive evidence of medicinal or dietary value in using mānuka honey other than as a sweetener. The word mānuka is the Māori name of the tree; the spelling manuka (without a macron) is common in English. Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey produced from the nectar of the mānuka tree, Leptospermum scoparium. The honey is commonly sold as an alternative medicine. There is no conclusive evidence of medicinal or dietary value in using mānuka honey other than as a sweetener. The word mānuka is the Māori name of the tree; the spelling manuka (without a macron) is common in English. Mānuka honey is produced by European honey bees (Apis mellifera) foraging on the mānuka or tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium) which grows uncultivated throughout New Zealand and southeastern Australia. Mānuka honey is markedly viscous. This property is due to the presence of a protein or colloid and is its main visually defining character, along with its typical dark cream to dark brown colour. Mānuka honey for export from New Zealand must be independently tested and pass the Mānuka Honey Science Definition test as specified by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), The test comprises five attributes. Four (4) are chemical and one (1) is DNA of Leptospermum scoparium. The honey must pass all five tests to be labeled as mānuka. This testing came into effect on 5 January 2018.