Mānuka honey

Mānuka honey is produced by bees foraging on Leptospermum scoparium — the same plant used by Māori for centuries as a medicinal rongoā. Its distinguishing feature is its non-peroxide activity, attributed largely to the compound methylglyoxal (MGO), which is unusually high in mānuka relative to other honeys.

The Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) 2018 Mānuka Honey Science Definition sets specific chemical and DNA markers a honey must meet before it can be exported as mānuka. Not all NZ honey called 'mānuka' meets it. A jar that does is required to test for five specific chemical markers (3-PLA, 2'-MAP, 2-MBA, 4-HPLA) and DNA from mānuka pollen.

UMF (Unique Mānuka Factor) ratings — 5+, 10+, 15+, 20+, 25+ — are issued by the UMF Honey Association and tested independently. Each UMF tier corresponds to a measured MGO range. UMF 10+ = MGO 263+, UMF 15+ = MGO 514+, UMF 20+ = MGO 829+, UMF 25+ = MGO 1200+.

The higher the rating, the higher the price — and the rarer the honey. Genuine UMF 25+ mānuka can sell for over NZ$300 a jar. Most NZ households buy 5+ or 10+, which sit in a more reasonable retail range and are still well above the threshold for measurable activity.