Introducing Manuka honey – not your average runny honey.
Manuka honey contains a ‘secret ingredient’ known as MGO (or methylglyoxal) which boosts its profile due to its anti-bacterial properties.
Where does Manuka honey come from?
Manuka honey gets its name from where it is come from; the flowers from the Manuka bush native to New Zealand.
The Manuka flowers blossom throughout the New Zealand summer time, whilst we’re shivering here in the UK! Bees forage from these flowers and then produce Manuka honey back in their hives.
Handpicked article: Find out more facts about Manuka
Why would I use Manuka honey instead of normal honey?
Here’s where it gets science-y. All honey contains hydrogen peroxide, which has natural anti-bacterial effects. In normal honey, these effects are lost when the hydrogen peroxide breaks down. However, in Manuka honey, its anti-bacterial properties remain well after the hydrogen peroxide has disappeared.
What are the benefits of Manuka honey?
Manuka honey is renowned for its antibacterial properties. Normal honey has a good rep in this field, too, but Manuka honey’s MGO content puts it ahead of the game. A big shout out goes to the bees who choose to frequent the Manuka bush, as the antibacterial substance DHA originates in the nectar of Manuka flowers. The bees then carry it back to the hive and transform it into MGO-rich Manuka honey for us to enjoy – bee-utiful!
Soothes and calms sore throats. You’ve probably been advised to drink some hot tea and honey when you. This is because honey does an amazing job at soothing those sore throats caused from coughing and illness. Pair that with Manuka honey’s antibacterial properties and you’re on to a winner!
How can I use Manuka honey?
Manuka honey has been used for centuries by ancient tribes in food and on their skin – it’s very versatile! Whether you spread it over your toast in the morning, add it to a smoothie or use it in your beauty routine – it’s definitely the new kitchen and beauty staple.
Supercharge It
Manuka honey isn’t just great for sweetening your tea or helping to ward off a cold when added to some hot lemon juice.
There are many other ways you can supercharge your day with this anti-bacterial wonder product including adding a spoonful to your morning porridge, spreading a little on some hot toast or using it to glaze some delicious muffins.
Handpicked article: How to use Manuka
How can I spot Manuka honey vs normal honey?
It’s easy to tell the difference! Normal honey has a yellow/orange colour and is usually runny and transparent. Manuka honey has a thicker consistency and has more of an orange/brown colour. You’ll also be able to tell whether it is genuine Manuka honey by looking out for certified labels.
Handpicked article: How to understand the Manuka honey label
What do the numbers mean?
When buying a pot of Manuka honey, you’ll notice lots of different numbers on the label. These numbers identify the potency of the MGO – basically, the higher the number the better the antibacterial effects. But no matter which strength you choose, every jar will be packed full of benefits. Enjoy!
How do I know I’m buying real Manuka honey?
In 2018, we made the decision as a brand to adopt new stringent guidelines, in line with the New Zealand government approved standard, that ensured customers know they are buying genuine New Zealand Manuka Honey.
Testing in both New Zealand, where our Manuka honey is harvested, and by Fera labs in the UK, ensures customers only get the purest, strongest, undiluted Manuka Honey, where antibacterial strength is measured and presented in a robust and transparent way.
For all other honey varieties, we ask our suppliers to meet Good Manufacturing Process in quality, traceability and taste, to ensure everything on our shelves is of the highest standard.
Summary
- Manuka honey comes from flowers from the Manuka bush native to New Zealand
- Manuka honey is renowned for its antibacterial properties
- It has been in food and on the skin for centuries
- Manuka honey is thicker and has more of an orange/brown colour than regular honey
20 incredible facts about Manuka honey
The miracle sticky stuff is more than just a tasty treat and there’s incredible science and wonder in its story too
- The Manuka bush, native to New Zealand, and its nectar contains dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which bees convert (thanks to enzymes in their… spit) to methylglyoxal – or MGO for short – a compound with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.
- This is where it gets a bit special: When stored, the DHA content goes down, while the MGO content goes up (though, not forever!).
- Before scientists understood that MGO was the ‘secret’ ingredient in Manuka honey, the antibacterial and antimicrobial properties were referred to as NPA, or non-peroxide activity (to differentiate it from the ‘peroxide’ activity they could detect, which is a series of anti-bacterial properties found in all honeys) and UMF, or Unique Manuka Factor.
- Manuka flowers blossom in the (New Zealand) summer… while we’re shivering at home.
- As much as 80% of honey sold as Manuka is essentially fake. New Zealand produced 1,700 tonnes in 2014, but somehow 10,000 tonnes were sold…
- The New Zealand government is taking its honey seriously to prevent people passing regular honey off as Manuka (and charging more!) and to ensure the quality. So now, any product labelled as Manuka honey exported from New Zealand must be lab-tested.
- This is where it gets a bit CSI: samples of honey are tested for four active ingredients, including levels of MGO, as well as undergoing DNA testing to prove the Manuka you buy is authentic.
- The New Zealand government now certifies all Manuka honeys according to the amount of MGO they contain (as parts per million). UMF ratings range from 5 to 15 typically, MGO from 100-550ppm. Both MGO and UMF are trademarked. Formerly, Manuka honeys labelled as TA (Total Activity) or Active were graded according to a mix of NPA and peroxide activity.
- Not all regions produce Manuka bushes that contain DHA – another reason why testing is really important.
- Of course, we can’t stop bees collecting nectar from wherever they like. This is why there are two types of Manuka honey: Monofloral (ie, one flower) applies to honey that has a very high level of Manuka in its DNA and Multifloral (ie, many flowers) is still mainly made up from nectar collected from the Manuka bush, but the bees have foraged from a greater number of flowers.
- There is no such thing as a Manuka bee – in fact, the bees aren’t even native to New Zealand. Hives are populated by your bog-standard European honey bee, brought over in 1839 as native bees were not suitable for honey production.
- There are three types of bee: the Queen, who runs the show and is everyone’s mum; Workers – an all-female crew that build and protect the hive and does all the foraging (these are the bees you see); and Drones, male bees whose purpose is to mate with the Queen and are kicked out of the hive in winter when the colony goes into survival mode.
- Bees will fly a few miles from their colonies, so hives are placed in areas where Manuka bushes are abundant.
- Static electricity can help with pollination; bees can take on a natural positive charge as they fly about, while plants often have a negative charge. When they meet, pollen can be attracted and ‘stick’ to the bee.
- The average beehive is a snuggly place – the temperature inside is around 35-40 degrees Celsius.
- Don’t worry, you’re not stealing food… healthy, ‘kept’ bees can produce two to three times more honey than they need if they’re given enough storage space.
- The average worker bee lives for around six weeks and, in that time, will fly around 366 miles
- In its lifetime, a honey bee can produce around a 12th of a teaspoon of honey.
- Archaeologists examining an Ancient Egyptian tomb found a cache of 3,000 year-old-honey. And it was still edible!
- New Zealand’s Kakariki parakeets have been seen chewing on Manuka leaves then applying the mush to their feathers – apparently to get rid of parasites.
Three amazing recipes with Manuka honey
1. Soothing smoothie
Good for: Sore throats
Makes: One large smoothie
Nutrients per serving:
| Energy | Total fat | Saturates | Protein | Fibre | Carbs | Sugar | Salt |
| 186 kcal | 0.8 g | 0.2 g | 1.9g | 6.6 g | 38 g | 37 g | 0.09 g |
Ingredients:
- 1 whole carrot – washed but not peeled
- 1 whole orange, peeled
- 1 tablespoon of Manuka honey *
- 1 small sliver of ginger
- Juice from ½ a lime
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup water
* Available at Holland & Barrett
Method
Step 1
Put all the ingredients into a blender, whizz until combined.
Step 2
Serve in a large glass and enjoy.
Recipe supplied by Manuka Pharm
2. Super-chocolate truffles
Good for: A healthy chocolate fix
Makes: 12 truffles
Nutrients per serving:
| Energy | Total fat | Saturates | Protein | Fibre | Carbs | Sugar | Salt |
| 131 kcal | 9.4 g | 3.9 g | 2.7 g | 2.6 g | 7.5 g | 6.6 g | 0 g |
Ingredients:
- 12 dates pitted *
- 1 tbsp coconut oil *
- 1 cup ground almonds *
- ⅛ cup chia seeds *
- ¼ cup raw cacao nibs * or powder *
- ¼ cup, plus an extra 2tbsp, shredded unsweetened coconut *
- 1 tbsp Manuka honey to taste*
* Available at Holland & Barrett
Method
Step 1
Put the dates into a food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 2
Add the coconut oil and continue mixing. Gradually add the ground almonds and chia seeds to form a thick paste.
Step 3
Add the raw cacao nibs or powder and 2tbsp of the shredded coconut.
Step 4
Finally, add the Manuka honey and mix thoroughly.
Step 5
Shake the remaining coconut onto a plate. Take approximately one spoonful/ping-pong sized ball of the mixture, roll it into a smooth ball between your hands, then roll it in the shredded coconut until it is covered.
Step 6
Repeat until all the mixture has been used. Chill until serving.
Recipe supplied by Comvita
3. Manuka honey cupcakes
Good for: A naughty-but-nice treat
Makes: 12 cupcakes
Nutrients per serving:
| Energy | Total fat | Saturates | Protein | Fibre | Carbs | Sugar | Salt |
| 345 kcal | 19 g | 11 g | 4.5 g | 0.8 g | 38 g | 23 g | 0 g |
Ingredients:
- 250g butter unsalted, softened
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 250g self-raising flour * sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp Manuka honey *
For the buttercream:
- 50ml water
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 250g butter unsalted, softened
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 1 tsp yellow food colouring
- 1 tbsp bee pollen * granules for decoration (optional)
* Available at Holland & Barrett
Method
For the cupcakes:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Step 2
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then fold in the flour, baking powder and Manuka honey into the mixture. Add a little milk if the mixture looks too dry.
Step 3
Divide the mixture between the cases and bake for 20 minutes.
For the buttercream:
Step 1
Pour 50ml water and 125g caster sugar into a saucepan. Heat on the hob and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to the boil, without stirring it, until it reaches 121°C. If you do not have a thermometer, make a tradional buttercream by mixing together butter and sugar.
Step 2
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add in the remaining 25g of caster sugar.
Step 3
When the pan reaches 121°C, remove from heat and sit in a bowl of cold water for a few seconds. Gradually pour the syrup into the whisked egg whites. Continue whisking for 8-10 minutes.
Step 4
Slowly whisk in the butter, vanilla extract and food colouring to form a smooth, fluffy buttercream.
Step 5
Add the buttercream to the top of the cupcakes and sprinkle on the bee pollen before it sets.
Last updated: 11 February 2021
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Author: Bhupesh Panchal, Regulatory Affairs
Bhupesh started his career as a clinical toxicologist for Public Health England, advising healthcare professionals all around the country on how to manage clinical cases of adverse exposure to supplements, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, industrial chemicals and agricultural products. After 7 years in this role and a further year working as a drug safety officer in the pharmaceutical industry, Bhupesh joined Holland & Barrett as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Associate in 2019. In his spare time, Bhupesh likes to cycle and has been learning to speak Korean for several years. |
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