Frequently Asked Questions

Onuku Limited Manuka honey goes through a heat treatment process. Heat treatment eliminates the micro-organisms responsible for spoilage and reduces the moisture content to a level that retards the fermentation process.

The temperature for heat treatment is > 50°c (122°f) and does not exceed > than 72°c (161°f). Heat treatment eliminates the micro-organisms responsible for spoilage and reduces the moisture content to a level that retards the fermentation process. Most mānuka honey are micro-filtered and cold-processed to remove pollen residues, dirt and dust.

• Impregnation of honey into an absorbent dressing pad for use on wounds. 
• A coating for honey dressing pads that makes them not sticky to handle.
• A gelling of honey to form a sheet of rubbery consistency for use on wounds.
• Combination of honey with a super-absorbent to keep honey in place on exuding wounds.
• Tableted spray-dried honey powder for use as confectionery that is safe for dental health.
• Solidified honey in the form of lozenges for treating gum disease and sore throats.
• The more MGO there is in the honey, the more antiviral and antibacterial properties it has.
• Mānuka honey helps reduce inflammation and irritation associated with acne. To do this, apply Mānuka honey directly to the skin. Be sure to cover the affected area with a thin layer of honey. You should leave this mask on for at least 15 minutes. You may have better results if you leave the mask on for one hour or more.
• You may also be able to use Mānuka a honey to soothe eczema. According to research presented on HealWithFood.org, you may find success using a mixture of equal parts honey, olive oil, and beeswax. It’s recommended that you apply the mixture three times a day.

Native of New Zealand in its natural setting, mānuka flowers ( Leptospermum scoparium ) prolifically and from an early age, with seedlings as small as 5cm producing flowers and setting seed. Flowering season is relatively short, usually 6 to 12 weeks (and often less) between September and March. Mānuka Honey is made by bees from the nectar collected from Mānuka flowers Bees remove most of the water from nectar and add enzymes that change the nectar’s sugar composition and create acids in the honey that they produce. These acids contribute special properties.

Beekeepers harvest the honey ( Manuka Honey Extraction NZ Honey ) from the beehives and send the hives to an extraction plant. The honey is extracted and filtered to 200 microns small enough to remove chunks of wax or crystallized honey that may be present. The honey then passes through a secondary bag filter to confirm removal of all unwanted foreign matter without removing any pollen or beneficial chemical properties from the honey. After filtration, the honey is creamed slowly and gently while contained in lidded stainless-steel vats under observation. Operators will check the honey or take a sample for testing and the process usually last several days. Some honey may be set aside for aging based on this testing. After creaming the production process moves to filling under observation. During packing, operators inspect the jars and apply induction seals and lids to the jars. Independent audits of the product may occur. The four chemical tests and the MPI 5 Tests will be made on the finished product.

We recommend purchasing honey that has the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) quality mark or an MGO rating then you are guaranteed it’s the real deal.

• Low grades between UMF5+/ MGO83+ to UMF10+ / MGO264+ are table grade mānuka honey. These honeys are safe for daily ingestion.

• Low to mid grades UMF 10+ / MGO264+ to UMF15+/MGO515+ are called Therapeutic Grade. These are good for topical use or short-term consumption.

• Mid to high grades UMF15+/MGO515+ to UMF25+/MGO1200+ have more potency. This means they can fight more powerful or even dangerous bacterial infections. Use topically.

The UMF Honey Association of New Zealand

More than 100 UMF honey producers and exporters use the UMF quality trademark. Only those producers and exporters that meet strict standards for Mānuka honey purity and quality are licensed to use the UMF quality trademark. The UMF grading system has two components which are expressed on any UMF honey product.

LABEL1) The label claim that it is genuine Mānuka Honey NUMBER

                                      2) This representstheunique signature compoundscharacteristic of this honey which ensure purity and quality. These include: the key markers of Leptosperin, DHA andMethylglyoxal

For most people, Mānuka honey is safe to consume. However, some people should consult a doctor before using it, including:

• People with diabetes. All types of honey are high in natural sugar. Therefore, consuming Mānuka honey may affect blood sugar levels.

• Those allergic to honey or bees. Those allergic to other types of honey or bees may have an allergic reaction after ingesting or applying Mānuka honey.

• Infants. It is not recommend giving honey to babies younger than one due to the risk of infant botulism, a type of foodborne illness.

Raw Honey

Raw is honey is the purest form of honey, which is unfiltered, unpasteurized and unprocessed. Honey is a sweet syrup extracted from the honeycomb, which is basically the nectar of flowers collected by the honeybees, which is further stored in the honeycomb by the bees. The breaking of honeycomb extracted from the beehive results in pouring out of the nectar, which is called raw honey. The raw honey is poured over a mesh or nylon cloth to separate the honey from impurities like beeswax and dead bees. Once strained, raw honey is bottled.

Creamed Honey

All of Onukus honey is creamed. Creamed honey is honey that has been processed to control crystallisation. Creamed honey contains a large number of small crystals, which prevent the formation of larger crystals that can occur in unprocessed honey. The processing also produces a honey with a smooth spreadable consistency. Most mānuka honey is micro-filtered and cold-processed to remove pollen residues, dirt and dust. After filtering, the raw honey its put in a honey creamer. A honey creamer is essentially a big tank with an auger that spins liquid honey periodically over a few days. Honey naturally wants to crystallise in the tank but by stirring it, it interferes with the crystallisation process. This allows control of the size of the crystals. The smaller the crystal, the smoother and creamier the honey. Creamed honey has a smooth texture that is perfect as a spread but preserves the goodness of raw honey. The creaming process begins with a small quantity of creamed honey or “starter” honey is added to the creaming process. The final product will take on the characteristics of the starter while retaining the flavour of the creamed honey. The starter honey is always the same type of honey, eg UMF10+. The volume of starter honey is around 10% of the batch that is been processed eg 1,800kg of honey, 180kg of starter honey is added. At the end of the creaming process 10% is kept as a starter for the next batch to be creamed.

All kinds of honey have been used as natural antibiotics throughout the centuries. Honey’s power to kill germs comes from hydrogen peroxide produced with the help of a bee enzyme. The unusual antibacterial properties of Mānuka Honey were discovered by Dr Peter Molan in 1981. It was found that Mānuka honey takes a step further by attacking germs with a substance called MGO (Methylglyoxal). In 2006 Professor Thomas Henle (University of Dresden) and his team - discovered MGO as the magic ingredient in Manuka honey, a discovery long sought after in the science world. MGO is found only in the nectar of Mānuka plants, this substance helps heal both minor and chronic wounds. Dr Molan has developed various materials for administering honey for therapeutic use on wounds and in the mouth and throat, many of which have been patented by the University of Waikato.

Mānuka Honey Uses

• Impregnation of honey into an absorbent dressing pad for use on wounds. 
• A coating for honey dressing pads that makes them not sticky to handle. 
• A gelling of honey to form a sheet of rubbery consistency for use on wounds.
• Combination of honey with a super-absorbent to keep honey in place on exuding wounds.
• Tableted spray-dried honey powder for use as confectionery that is safe for dental health.
• Solidified honey in the form of lozenges for treating gum disease and sore throats.
• The more MGO there is in the honey, the more antiviral and antibacterial properties it has.
• Mānuka honey helps reduce inflammation and irritation associated with acne. To do this, apply Mānuka honey directly to the skin. Be sure to cover the affected area with a thin layer of honey. You should leave this mask on for at least 15 minutes. You may have better results if you leave the mask on for one hour or more.
• You may also be able to use Mānuka a honey to soothe eczema. According to research presented on HealWithFood.org, you may find success using a mixture of equal parts honey, olive oil, and beeswax. It’s recommended that you apply the mixture three times a day.

Manuka honey contains beneficial enzymes. These are naturally-occurring bio-ingredients that gives mānuka honey its antibacterial properties.

Like most bio-ingredients, the enzymes including the very important antibacterial MGO present in mānuka honey are destroyed by high heat or prolong exposure to high temperature. Pasteurisation goes up to temperatures well over 72 ºc (161°f).

Therefore, it is not advisable to mix mānuka honey in hot water. As a general rule, mānuka honey is best consumed directly. For those who desire a cup of warm honey drink or to sweeten tea or coffee, try to keep the water to no hotter than 40 ºc.

Sugar is made up of 50 % glucose and 50 % fructose that bound together chemically into a molecule called sucrose, therefore sugar is 100% sucrose. Honey has 30 % glucose and less than 40 % fructose that float separately with the balance made up of enzymes, amino acids, B Vitamins, Vitamin C, minerals and antioxidants. Since fructose is sweeter that glucose, honey tastes sweeter than sugar and people tend to use less.

Crystallisation is a natural process of honey and will not compromise the quality honey in any way. This natural phenomenon happens when glucose, one of three main sugars in honey, spontaneously precipitates out of the supersaturated honey solution. The glucose loses water (becoming glucose monohydrate) and takes the form of a crystal (a solid body with a precise and orderly structure). The crystals form a lattice which immobilises other components of honey in a suspension thus creating the semi-solid state.

Crystallization can occur in honey from long exposure to high temperature or really high heat and becomes runny honey. Then when put back into a cool dark place the honey turns back to a creamed state and crystal start appearing. Crystallization also occurs if honey is place in the fridge. The cold temperature hardens the honey and will start to form crystals.

All honey should be stored in a dark place with a top end temperature of 25º Celsius to keep its creamed or liquid consistency.

BE AWARE: As long as Mānuka Honey was not kept at a temperature of over 40º Celsius for a long period of time it should keep its beneficial attributes. The enzymes including the very important antibacterial methylglyoxal present in Manuka UMF honey are destroyed by high heat or prolong exposure to high temperature. Honeys will cream differently, based on the glucose/fructose ratio of the honey. The higher the glucose level the faster the honey with crystallise. In honey blends, you can influence the speed of the creaming by mixing fast- crystallising honeys with the slower ones.