Manuka Honey is is an extremely rare natural product, which is only obtained in New Zealand and in a few parts of Australia. Manuka Honey is not yet very widespread throughout Europe, accordingly it is almost unknown over here. This great “golden syrup” is subject to a very high global demand. The honey is extracted from the nectar of the South Sea myrtle (lat. leptospermum scoparium), also called tea-tree. The natives of New Zealand, the Maoris, call the plant "Manuka"!

The honey is extracted from the nectar of the South Sea myrtle, which is found almost only in remote parts of New Zealand and in some parts of the South East of Australia.

South Sea myrtle, Latin name is "leptospermum scoparium", also called Manuka tree, is the New Zealand "tea tree", a thorny shrub. This plant belongs to the myrtle family. The tea-tree can occur as a shrub about five centimeters high or grow into a tree up to about fifteen meters high. The blossoms of the myrtle are five-leafed, white and rather rarely pink. Depending on the region, they bloom in September until the end of the honeybee season, which lasts until March.

The process is actually the same as for all honeys. In the southern hemisphere, the flowering period of the tea tree begins around September / October and the bees start collecting the nectar that occurs in the flowers. The nectar is stored in the honeycombs of the hive and it is harvested by the beekeeper after ripeness. With the help of a centrifuge, the honey is carefully thrown out of the honeycombs. In order to further or fully hold the important MGO component, the honey is stored for a few weeks. Above, we have described the ingredient dihydroxyacetone DHA, which is present in the tea tree plant. By mixing this DHA with the saliva of the bees, the all-important methylglyoxal (MGO) is formed. The more DHA originally appears in the nectar, the higher the MGO share! In the small, state-of-the-art and hygenic BeeNZ factory, the Manuka Honey is filled into jars with the help of a bottling plant and pasted with a printed label.

Yes, Manuka Honey can be called / considered as "monofloral"or "single-variety" as no further nectar or any other honey is added.

The ingredient DIHYDROXYACETON (DHA) is contained in the nectar of the tea tree sheets. DHA is converted in the hive to METHYLGLYOXAL; abbreviation “MGO”. The MGO is a sugar degradation product. MGO, which is produced in the honeycomb during honey maturation, is the most important part of our Manuka Honey, which makes our honeys so special and unique. The MGO content is determined in laboratories accredited by the New Zealand government and is shown in a laboratory report; including a specific certificate. The result is determined in mg per kg. The higher the value determined, the higher the quality of the product. Click here to get more information.

UMF™ is a short form of UNIQUE MANUKA FACTOR. UMF™ is the key feature of our Manuka Honey. The higher the value, the higher the quality of the product. Click here to get more information.

NPA is a short form of "non-peroxide activity". The NPA content and proportion is measured in the laboratory as well. The higher the value, the higher the quality of the product. Click here to get more information.

Each batch of our Manuka Honey is given to an audited, independent laboratory in New Zealand, which examines its constituents and performs an accurate analysis. Apart from various values, the key marker MGO (described above) is of high importance.
In addition, this laboratory test can prove whether the honey has been punched and/or mixed, which is not acceptable at all.
In addition, BeeNZ honey samples are given to the laboratory of the UMFHA (= UNIQUE MANUKA FACTOR  HONEY ASSOCIATION) which BeeNZ are a member of. Based on the determined MGO values, our honey then obtains the important UMF™ classification. Please have a closer look at our SHOP, where we have a wide range on offer! Read more valuable information.

Each and every lot of a honey harvest is different in its composition. Using the MGO value described in the two laboratory tests above, we classify a honey up to 83 mg/kg MGO as UMF™5+Manuka Honey, 263 mg/kg MGO as UMF™10+.Manuka Honey, 514 mg/kg MGO as UMF™15+Manuka Honey and our 829 mg/kg MGO as UMF™20+Manuka Honey. There has been a very rare lot in our range which had an MGO content of 1,550 mg/kg and was declared as UMF™29+ Manuka Honey. But this truly is an extremely seldom exception!

Since our honey is completely natural and has no supplements, unlike many other general honeys, our honey is very unique in its taste. Hardly tasting extremely sweet, like European honeys do, our honeys are rather strong in their taste.

At room temperature, Manuka Honey appears to be dark and relatively thick, but viscous, gel-like. If not moved or simmered, it tends to keep its consistency. In case the honey is stirred or whirred, the honey appears as less viscous but after a short time it again restores its previously described consistency.

Honey is considered as “non-perishable” under normal circumstances. However, we specify a "recommended consumption date" of about 4 years after administration. This is printed on our label with "BB" = best before.

We recommend storing the honey in a dark, cool and dry place. This ensures that the aroma and ingredients of the honey are maintained.

We advise not to administer honey to children under 12-18 months.