Ensuring mānuka honey is authentic

Update – 2 June 2023

No change to mānuka honey definition

New Zealand Food Safety has completed a thorough scientific review of the mānuka honey definition, which did not support any change.

The current definition was introduced in 2018 following a 3-year science programme. The programme involved collecting plant and honey samples from across New Zealand to find markers in the honey that could be traced back to the mānuka plant.

The review of the definition began in 2020 to ensure it remains robust and fit for purpose. It was a thorough review process, involving domestic and international mānuka honey experts, as well as analysis of a range of data collected from industry.

A summary of the findings as well as the peer-reviewers report is available to read and download.

Scientific interpretive summary and peer review summary of the reassessment of the scientific basis of the regulatory export definition for mānuka honey [PDF, 1 MB]

What is mānuka honey?

New Zealand mānuka honey is produced by bees collecting nectar from the mānuka plant (Leptospermum scoparium). Mānuka plants can be found growing throughout New Zealand.

Making sure it's authentic NZ mānuka honey

Our reputation for honey production and export rests on the integrity of our products and the credibility of our systems.

In December 2017, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) finalised a robust scientific definition that can be used to authenticate whether a particular honey is New Zealand mānuka honey.

We've also introduced requirements to:

improve how bee products are traced through the supply chain
make sure New Zealand bee products comply with importing country requirements.

Why the rules are needed

The science definition for mānuka honey is essential to maintain New Zealand's premium position in overseas markets. It will also help the continued growth of our export honey industry. It's important:

that overseas regulators have confidence in the assurances we give them about New Zealand mānuka honey
consumers in export countries are confident they're getting genuine mānuka honey.

If not, our access to markets could be put at risk or we may lose the premium prices our bee products command overseas.

Find out more

Beekeeper requirements – honey exports

Exporting honey and bee products

Tests to authenticate mānuka honey

All honey labelled as mānuka for export must be tested by an MPI-recognised laboratory to make sure it meets the mānuka honey definition.

This definition is made up of a combination of 5 attributes (4 chemicals from nectar and 1 DNA marker from mānuka pollen). This allows industry to:

separate mānuka honey from other honey types
identify it as either monofloral or multifloral mānuka honey.

Infographic: Mānuka honey science definition [PDF, 3.6 MB]

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Test for monofloral mānuka honey

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The test for monofloral mānuka honey requires all of the 5 attributes in Test 1 and Test 2. If the honey fails to meet one or more of the attributes, it's not monofloral mānuka honey – but it may still pass the test for multifloral mānuka honey.

Test 1: Chemical test

The following chemicals all need to be present and at these levels:

3-phenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 400 mg/kg
2’-methoxyacetophenone at a level greater than or equal to 5 mg/kg
2-methoxybenzoic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg

Test 2: DNA test

DNA level from mānuka pollen is less than Cq 36, which is approximately 3 fg/µL.

Test for multifloral mānuka honey

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The test for multifloral mānuka honey requires all of the 5 attributes in Test 1 and Test 2. If the honey fails to meet one or more of the attributes, it's not mānuka honey.

Test 1: Chemical test

The following chemicals all need to be present and at these levels:

3-phenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 20 mg/kg but less than 400 mg/kg
2’-methoxyacetophenone at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
2-methoxybenzoic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg

Test 2: DNA test

DNA level from mānuka pollen is less than Cq 36, which is approximately 3 fg/µL

Find a laboratory recognised to test honey

Only certain MPI-recognised laboratories are allowed to test mānuka honey and not all laboratories can do both types of test.

Search for recognised laboratories

To search, enter the following numbers into the 'Activities' box:

'10.04' for the DNA test
'10.05' for the chemistry tests.

Interpret your lab results

When honey is tested for the markers in the mānuka honey definition, the laboratory will provide the results of the test.

It's up to you to interpret these results to determine whether the specified levels of the chemicals and DNA are present. If they are, you can label the honey as monofloral or multifloral mānuka (whichever is indicated by the results).

Guide to labelling of New Zealand honey for export [PDF, 3.3 MB]

Mānuka honey sold in New Zealand

Currently, honey sold domestically must comply with all existing regulatory requirements. These include Fair Trading Act requirements that it must be accurately labelled. Any changes to the requirements for mānuka honey sold on the domestic market will require further policy work.

Find out more about the labelling and composition of honey and bee products

The work we did to create a science definition

MPI's definition is the result of a significant 3-year scientific programme, which developed the criteria to identify mānuka honey from New Zealand.

The programme involved:

working with local and international experts
collecting and testing over 800 honey samples, representing over 20 different New Zealand honey types from 7 production years
collecting and testing over 700 plants from 2 flowering seasons
analysing the data using a range of advanced statistical models (this was independently reviewed by 3 international experts)
identifying markers in the mānuka plant and honey that help distinguish mānuka honey from other honey types
using test methods that can consistently and accurately test for markers
determining reliable identification criteria for monofloral or multifloral mānuka honey.

During 2017, MPI sought feedback through a public consultation.

Proposed general export requirements for bee products – consultation