Does anyone know about manuka honey in New Zealand? Ask for it.

Manuka honey is known as the "National Treasure of New Zealand", and it is named because its honey source plant is Myrtaceae shrub Manuka. Manuka is mainly distributed in North Island of New Zealand and southeast Australia. In fact, Manuka honey is also produced in Australia, and the quality is not bad, but "Manuka honey in New Zealand" seems to be more famous.

Manuka honey in Australia is generally lighter in color and darker in New Zealand, but this cannot be used to identify the authenticity of Manuka. Manuka honey is a specialty of Oceania, not unique to New Zealand.

If you want to travel to New Zealand and Australia, friends or colleagues often ask you to bring some manuka honey. This kind of honey is expensive, but many domestic consumers are eager for it because of its magical health care effect.

Peter Moran, a retired scholar and scientist in New Zealand, began to study the efficacy of honey 30 years ago. In the local area, there was a bee that pollinated Manuka flowers, but people at that time didn't like the nectar it brewed.

Moran said: "This kind of honey used to be thrown away. If you have tasted pure manuka honey, you will find it very strong. People don't like the taste. "

Later, however, Moran discovered the uniqueness of Manuka honey. Unlike other honey in the world, Manuka honey seems to have antibacterial properties. Some studies also show that honey can help wounds heal and strengthen the immune system.

Although many health effects of Manuka honey have yet to be verified, its so-called healing function has jumped out of the marginal treatment of honey industry and integrated into the global multi-million dollar industrial chain as soon as it came out of New Zealand. Tennis player Novak Djokovic and actress Scarlett Johansson are highly respected by celebrities, which also makes them more attractive.

This is like a "gold rush" that is being staged on a global scale.

Reading navigation

1. Manuka honey is a panacea?

Second, Manuka honey has become the "standard" for the rich in China.

Third, the high price of Manuka honey, the side effect of the "gold rush"

4. Manuka honey in Australia is not inferior to New Zealand, and related industries are ready to go.

one

Manuka honey is a panacea?

Historically, Manuka trees were used as herbs by Maori in Oceania, while Manuka honey was sold to local herders as sugar water for cattle at a very low price. Results Herdsmen found that dairy cows drinking Manuka honey water were not easy to get sick, so it was speculated that Manuka honey might have a certain health care effect. Later, biologists have done a lot of research and confirmed that Manuka honey has good "non-hydrogen peroxide antibacterial activity".

At present, it is one of the two approved medical-grade honey in the world, which is mainly used to promote wound healing and improve oral and gastrointestinal health.

So in general, its antibacterial activity is still relatively clear, so are other effects worth believing?

Manuka honey is often called "super food" and can treat many diseases, such as allergies, colds and flu, gingivitis, sore throat, staphylococcal infections and various types of wounds. It can even improve human energy, detoxify, lower cholesterol, treat diabetes, improve sleep, brighten skin color, reduce hair loss and strengthen hair quality.

Many advertisements will mention the following benefits:

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The antibacterial activity of Manuka honey can promote the healing of wound infection caused by various bacteria and fungi.

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Improve dyspepsia, kill bacteria that cause stomach diseases, relieve symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases such as gastric ulcer, diarrhea and duodenal ulcer, and clear the intestines to protect the stomach;

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Efficient antioxidant and antibacterial, effective skin conditioning, Zhuo Qun, beauty beauty;

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It has a good curative effect on pharyngolaryngitis, neutralizes acidic substances in the mouth and keeps teeth healthy;

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Contain high-level antioxidant substances, improve comprehensive immunity and enhance human endurance.

But in fact, some of these effects are indeed based on science, while others are unreliable arguments.

Although the scientific community has only begun to understand the value of Manuka in recent decades, the indigenous Maori in the main honey producing area of Manuka in New Zealand discovered that Manuka is a magical "medicinal plant" centuries ago, and it is often used to treat various wounds and infections, skin ulcers, eczema and so on.

Until the mid-20th century, because of the appearance of modern antibiotics, the popularity of medicinal honey began to decline, and western medicine characterized it as a food without medicinal value but harmless to the body.

But the emergence of superbugs (they are resistant to some, many or even all antibiotics) means that we need to continue scientific research on other alternative therapies for pathogens.

We now know that honey is traditionally used in wound dressings, almost certainly because of its antibacterial properties.

High sugar content and low pH value mean that honey can inhibit microbial growth, but some honey can still maintain its antibacterial activity when diluted to negligible concentration.

When glucose oxidase (the enzyme in honey) reacts with glucose and oxygen molecules in water, many different types of honey also produce hydrogen peroxide, which can kill bacteria.

Therefore, when honey is used as a wound dressing, it absorbs water from the tissue, and this reaction produces hydrogen peroxide to clean the infected wound.

Although all honey has certain antibacterial activity, the activity of some honey is 100 times higher than others.

What's the difference between Manuka and other honey?

Manuka honey is extracted from nectar of Manuka tree. Because it contains special ingredients, it has strong antibacterial activity.

This unusual antibacterial activity was discovered by Professor Peter Moran of New Zealand in 1980s, when he realized that the effect of Manuka honey still existed even after the hydrogen peroxide was removed.

The reason has been elusive for many years, until 2008, two laboratories independently identified methyl glyoxal (MGO) as the key active ingredient of Manuka honey.

Can manuka honey kill superbugs?

Manuka honey has been tested for its activity, which can resist different kinds of microorganisms, especially those that cause wound infections, and inhibit problematic bacterial pathogens, including superbugs resistant to various antibiotics.

Manuka honey can also disperse and kill bacteria (antibiotic-resistant microbial communities) in biofilm, including streptococcus and staphylococcus.

Most importantly, there is no case that bacteria are resistant to honey, and no case that bacteria are resistant to Manuka or other honey has been found in laboratory research.

Researchers believe that doctors are facing the situation that antibiotics are gradually losing their effectiveness in controlling wound infection, and their findings may increase the clinical use of Manuka honey.

In addition, we really need a new and effective method to control wound infection, so as not to increase the drug resistance of bacteria; In addition to low cost, Manuka honey may also help to improve the efficacy of antibiotics and reduce the possibility of the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in the future.

Manuka honey and wound healing

Honey has ideal characteristics of wound dressing, and there have been many studies on the efficacy of Manuka as a wound dressing. In addition to broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, honey is non-toxic to mammalian cells, which helps to maintain a moist wound environment (conducive to healing), has anti-inflammatory activity, reduces healing time and scars, has a natural cleaning effect (absorbing dead tissues, foreign bodies and dead immune cells from wounds), and reduces wound odor. These attributes involve many reports, showing the effectiveness of honey as a wound dressing.

Honey, especially Manuka honey, has been successfully used to treat infected and non-infected wounds, burns, surgical incisions, leg ulcers, compression ulcers, traumatic injuries, meningococcal injuries, radiotherapy and the side effects of gingivitis.

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It is reported that new research shows that Manuka honey with high UMF (refers to the antibacterial components contained in active Manuka honey, which is an index to measure the degree of antibacterial components in Manuka honey) can promote wound healing more effectively than low-grade or ordinary honey.

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Researchers at the University of Sydney compared the effects of manuka honey with different UMF grades (ranging from 5 to 20 according to antibacterial activity) and ordinary honey bought from stores in healing the bleeding wound of horse legs.

They said that the research results are "quite amazing" and apply to humans.

This study published in the Australian Veterinary Journal further proves that Manuka honey has antibacterial properties and is a veritable powerful healing agent.

The higher the UMF, the higher the antibacterial activity and the higher the price.

It was found that if the wound was treated with UMF20 honey every day, the wound healing speed was faster than that of ordinary honey and untreated wound 12 days.

In fact, wounds treated with ordinary honey will not heal better than untreated wounds. UMF5 honey does have some positive effects.

UMF and MGO classification methods

The activity determination methods of Manuka honey are different, and the conversion comparison table of UMF and MGO index is as follows:

Summary of health care and medical effect of each index:

UMF5+: Low medicinal properties, suitable for daily use and maintaining immunity.

UMF 10+: used for health care, suitable for the elderly with low immunity.

UMF 16+: taken by people with mild gastrointestinal discomfort. For example, people who have poor digestion and are prone to diarrhea and stomachache.

UMF20+: It is suitable for people with severe gastrointestinal discomfort, because its excellent antibacterial repair effect is also suitable for postoperative rehabilitation products, which can promote wound healing.

Therapeutic effect of manuka honey

Most manuka honey sold worldwide is actually edible. Because Manuka may have the effect of inhibiting bacteria causing sore throat (gingivitis), the main component responsible for antibacterial activity will not survive during digestion.

However, eating honey does have certain therapeutic effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and prebiotic properties (promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine). Although these characteristics are not only related to manuka honey, other kinds of honey may also play a role.

What manuka honey can't do

It is generally believed that eating Manuka (or local) honey can help relieve pollinosis, because it contains a small amount of pollen that causes symptoms, and a small amount of it helps your immune system learn not to overreact.

But in fact, there is no scientific evidence that eating honey helps pollinosis patients. Most of the pollen that causes hay fever comes from wind-pollinated plants (so it does not produce nectar and is not attracted by bees).

Some preliminary experimental work shows that honey can prevent some side effects of head and neck radiotherapy to some extent, but this conclusion needs further investigation and proof. However, there is no scientific basis for honey to prevent cancer at present.

Besides, if you put honey in your hair and hope that honey will care for your hair, you will only get a sticky and messy scene.

In addition, there is no strong scientific evidence that Manuka can lower cholesterol, treat diabetes or improve sleep. Although an interesting study shows that honey is more effective than cough medicine in reducing children's cough at night and improving their (and their parents') sleep. Manuka honey is not specially used to treat cough, but it does have certain effect.

However, it should be noted that it is absurd to claim that Manuka honey has any propaganda to help "detoxify". There is no scientific basis for the anti-aging effect of Manuka honey cosmetics.

In short, if consumers buy manuka honey only for daily consumption or nourishment, they don't need to buy those expensive series products. But if you want to use Manuka honey as a wound dressing, you must buy professional sterile medical supplies with appropriate packaging.

With the increasingly serious crisis of global antibiotic resistance, manuka honey, which has been proved to have clinical medicinal value, has attracted more attention. Manuka honey is also one of the best gifts that people in China are keen to give to their relatives and friends.

two

Manuka honey has become a "standard" for the rich in China.

Manuka honey is now in a tight market in China's rich circle, because people's continuous concern about food safety has greatly increased their market demand for pure natural imported healthy food.

It is understood that Manuka Honey Association of New Zealand has more than 100 honey enterprises. According to the New Zealand Herald, in New Zealand, the price range of bulk honey of Manuka honey is 6-74 New Zealand dollars, that is, 29-352 yuan /500 grams.

But when Manuka honey crossed the ocean and entered China, its value immediately doubled. Searching on Tmall, JD.COM, 1 shop and other websites with "manuka honey" as the key word, all products are above 100, and the prices range from 2300 yuan /500g to 60 yuan /500g, which is more than 10 times higher than that of ordinary honey of the same specification in China.

At 1 store, the price of a product named "New Zealand imported UMF20+ Manuka honey 250g/ 12 bottles" is as high as 13999 yuan, equivalent to RMB 2333 yuan /500g.

The price of a "Melika MELITA Manuka UMF20+ 340g of natural treasure honey imported from New Zealand" in Tmall Mall is 1 198 yuan, which is about 1700 yuan /500g, while in MELITA official website, New Zealand, this product is NZ $205.85, equivalent to RMB 978, and the price difference at home and abroad is 220 yuan.

The high price determines that only the really rich can afford it. Globally, the high price of Manuka honey stems from its short supply, but the price of imported products in China itself is higher than that in other countries, especially in the field of luxury goods.

People look at this honey just like Koreans look at Korean ginseng-it is a high-value food, and you need to take it for a long time to keep healthy.

James Roy, deputy director of Shanghai-based China Market Research Group, said: Unlike other luxury goods such as LV bags or Maldives tourism, consumers will not buy Manuka honey for vanity or ostentation.

Shirley Kwun, a 29-year-old Shanghai operations manager, said: My mother in Hong Kong started buying Manuka honey several years ago as a sugar substitute for breakfast porridge. Now, when traveling to New Zealand, Ms. Guan and other family members also start to buy honey. She said, "My mother is the first of her friends to buy linseed oil, so I think she should be at the forefront in these things."

Like other popular healthy foods, the manuka honey market is also growing through word of mouth. Of course, in the era of counterfeit goods, the country of origin is a key factor. Affected by this, those leading brands began to change their marketing strategies, hoarding goods in China tourists' favorite New Zealand stores, and promoting their products on social media in China.

Brett Park Jung Su, CEO of Comvita, the largest manuka honey producer in New Zealand, said: "Word of mouth has always been the main driving force of our marketing activities, and (China people) are very suspicious of traditional marketing methods-for example, anything approved by a star will be repeatedly questioned. What they believe most is what friends or relatives say by word of mouth. "

In May this year, Conway announced a record operating profit. The company's profit in the latest fiscal year reached NZ $6.5438+002 million (US$ 6.6 million), an increase of 28% over the previous year. Part of the reason is the demand of tourists from China. Domestic sales in New Zealand increased by 92%, and e-commerce sales also increased by 55%.

In recent years, in order to meet the growing market demand, a large number of informal vendors have mushroomed in Taobao market in China and platform services in Weibo. Sellers named "Healthy Living in New Zealand" and "Nourishing Life" all started to promote canned manuka honey at a price lower than the marked price.

three

The high price of manuka honey, the side effect of "gold rush"

The British media "Daily Mail" once issued a document questioning whether the best-selling Manuka honey is all true. According to the statistics of major honey producer organizations in New Zealand, New Zealand produces 65,438+0,700 tons of manuka honey every year, but it is estimated that the global honey sold under the manuka honey trademark is as high as 65,438+0,000 tons every year.

Manuka honey is a world-famous New Zealand specialty. It comes from bees and only collects honey from camellia trees in Maluka. It has medicinal effects and is deeply loved by consumers. So far manuka honey has been in short supply, leading some manufacturers to shoddy. At present, the world's best-selling and expensive Manuka honey is far higher than its actual output.

In the past, the problem of counterfeiting once troubled Manuka honey industry.

The British Food Standards Agency found in an inspection of 20 1 1 that among the 23 kinds of manuka honey produced in New Zealand, 1 1 is not manuka honey at all.

The Manuka Bee Association of New Zealand conducted similar spot checks on Manuka honey in British, China and Singaporean markets in 20 12 and 20 13, and found that 4 1 of 73 samples were fraudulent. In 20 14, China imported 2 13 1 ton of New Zealand honey, accounting for 36.8% of the total import, and a considerable part of it was called Manuka honey.

A series of counterfeiting incidents are a headache for the New Zealand government, especially when the regulatory authorities of importing countries (including China) ask them how to identify the authenticity. As a result, they can't tell exactly what "Manuka honey" is.

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In fact, honey collection by bees is random. Although Manuka has a specific flowering period and distribution area, it is almost impossible to store 100% Manuka honey.

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In order to restore the reputation of Manuka honey, the Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand convened industries, enterprises and experts, and finally formulated the standard definition of Manuka honey in three years, which was officially released in 20 17, which was the first time in the field of bee products.

This standard * * * involves five characteristic indexes: methoxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, phenyllactic acid, methoxyacetophenone and Manuka pollen DNA5. Manuka honey can only be called if all the contents meet the requirements. According to the different index values, there are two kinds of nectar: manuka alone nectar and manuka mixed nectar.

However, although the introduction of the new standard will curb the fraudulent behavior of Manuka honey to a certain extent. But in fact, all quantifiable indicators cannot be an absolute barrier for counterfeiters. As long as the profit of counterfeiting is high enough, counterfeiters can completely add these characteristic substances according to the standards to get away with it. Therefore, for consumers who love Manuka honey, rationality is more important than anything else.

The huge demand in China market has put pressure on manufacturers, urging them to ensure production and move on.

In the past two years, Conway, the star brand of Manuka honey, had to double the number of its own beehives to 30,000 now in order to ensure the stability of honey supply. Other manufacturers are also expanding to remote areas of New Zealand, and related cellular equipment needs helicopter air transportation.

It's like a continuous gold rush. New Zealanders bought beehives and put them near any Manuka tree to harvest some Manuka honey.

However, one thing that New Zealanders have been less worried about is competition, because only Australia, which also grows manuka trees, will pose some threats to it.

four

Manuka honey in Australia is not inferior to New Zealand, and related industries are ready to go.

A recent study by Australian scholars shows that Manuka honey in Australia is not inferior to the famous Manuka honey produced in New Zealand in clinical efficacy. This means that New Zealand can no longer claim to produce the best manuka honey in the world.

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have now found that Australian Manuka honey has the same powerful antibacterial effect as New Zealand Manuka honey.

Nural Cokcetin, the author of the research report, said that this discovery is "exciting" and may bring huge economic benefits to 65,438+2,000 beekeepers in Australia, because there is only one manuka tree in New Zealand, while there are more than 80 manuka trees in Australia.

Researchers have studied more than 80 samples of flowers from Manuka trees in New South Wales and Queensland, and found that nectar derivatives with unique antibacterial effects on Manuka honey in New Zealand also exist in Manuka trees in Australia.

In other words, Manuka honey is not only a patent in New Zealand, but also Australian honey can get a share in New Zealand!

It is reported that there is only one tree species in Manuka, New Zealand, and bees suffer from parasitic mites; There are as many as 80 kinds of manuka trees in Australia, and there is no worry about mites, which shows that manuka honey produced in Australia has certain advantages in market competition.

In Australian media reports, Australia's Manuka honey industry is called "a potential billion-dollar honey industry".

Daniel jones, a bee farmer in Queensland, said that the market price of one kilogram of ordinary honey is 5-6 dollars, while the price of one kilogram of manuka honey is as high as 30-40 dollars, which is 5-8 times that of ordinary honey.

However, what has prevented beekeepers in Manuka, Queensland from developing their huge potential business?

It turns out that the land where Manuka trees grow is currently owned by the state. If you want to keep bees here, the beekeeper must pay the use fee. Any unauthorized land use is illegal.

Robert Dewar, chairman of the Queensland Beekeepers Association, said that this limited the further development of the honey industry in Manuka, Australia.

"We don't cut down trees. On the contrary, we rely on these trees. We just want to clean up other vegetation around the Manuka tree to reduce the risk of mountain fires. "

Dewar also pointed out that their New Zealand counterpart, Manuka Beekeeper, has received full support and close cooperation from the New Zealand government. They feel that they have made full use of the resources provided by nature and produced this precious medicinal honey. "However, looking at Australia, our government has not helped anything. On the contrary, it is still restricting us."

It is reported that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Minerals said in a statement that it has understood the demands of beekeepers. Although a large number of wild manuka shrubs grow in national parks all over Australia, Australia's current laws prohibit any non-wild animals (including domestic bees) from entering honey collection. This ban is expected to be abolished in 2024.

Self-produced medical-grade Manuka honey has been started in Western Australia.

It is reported that Western Australia may export its own medical-grade Manuka honey by the end of this year. Although this kind of honey is mostly produced in New Zealand so far, Manuka Life, a private company in Western Australia, has started its own Manuka honey industry.

Paul Callander, manager and director of Manulife Life, said that the company's goal is to grow this tea tree, thus providing a new business opportunity for farmers in Western Australia. Once the continuity of supply is established, the downstream local pharmaceutical industry will also develop.

In order to cultivate this emerging industry, the Rural Industry Research and Development Company gave Manulife 750,000 Australian dollars, and the funds will be in place within three years. The company will cooperate with kings park and Botanical Garden.

This fund will be used to cultivate hybrid tea varieties to make them heat-resistant and cold-resistant, so that they can be planted all over Australia, the flowering period will be extended from 6 weeks to 6 months, and their seeds can also maintain commercial value for up to 4 years.

The honey industry in Manuka, Western Australia has started. Manulife has collected excellent varieties from New Zealand and Australia. Last year, it planted 65,438+050 hectares of fine-grained tea trees, mainly in the southwest of China, of which 25 hectares were planted in the wheat belt to test its salt tolerance and high temperature resistance. Wheat and tea trees have survived for half, which is quite successful, bringing hope for prolonging the flowering period. not yet

In the next three years, 500 hectares will be planted every year to prepare for the company to fully expand its products. Once the number of products increases, its downstream products may appear in three or two years.

end

Manuka honey is expensive, so you must buy a trustworthy brand. "

At the end of the article, three main points of purchasing and eating manuka honey are attached for readers:

Choose a trustworthy retailer

Pay attention to whether the salesperson exaggerates when introducing Manuka honey and whether he understands the difference between UMF and Active+. In addition, customers can ask retailers whether they have been to the honey factory of their honey brand in person and how much they know about the honey collection process.

Take UMF as the standard and choose a trustworthy brand.

Pay attention to whether the packaging of Manuka honey brand is marked with UMF logo and index, and log on to UMFHA official website (http://www.umf.org.nz/) to see if the brand is really a member of the association, in case some brands fish in troubled waters. It is also helpful to make the right choice to log on to the brand website to understand the honey collection process.

Avoid eating with hot water.

Manuka honey should not be eaten with hot water, because hot water will make the antibacterial effect of honey disappear. It is recommended to eat with warm water or directly on toast, yogurt or cereal.