SCIENCE OF HONEY

Honey has been used since ancient times for its special properties.   Good quality honey can be high in beneficial plant compounds including antioxidants.  It contains a number of nutrients (see below) and has high levels of glucose and fructose which offers a healthier alternative to refined sugar making it a great source of energy.   However, the composition of a honey batch depends on the floral source(s) available to the bees that produced the honey.

Nelson Honey operates a team of beekeepers and has hives are located throughout the beautiful regions at top of the South Island of New Zealand.  Hives enjoy spectacular and remote locations including  Maori Bay in the Marlborough Sounds and Rainbow Station in St Arnaud.

Here at Nelson Honey we can trace our honey back to the hives they came from and our team of beekeepers maintain the health and happiness of all our bees.

Manuka Honey

There has been much research done on the components of manuka honey, leading to worldwide acclaim of this wonderful honey.

Manuka Honey is unique to New Zealand and its special benefits have been a traditional part of folklore throughout New Zealand’s settled history.

TESTING MANUKA HONEY

At Nelson Honey, we test all our Manuka Honey for MGO (Methylglyoxal) activity along with other chemical markers to ensure that it is authentic manuka honey.   Methylglyoxal is expressed as a minimum number of mg/kg and scientific evidence has confirmed it as being a key compound that occurs naturally in Manuka honey.

At Nelson Honey, we test all our Manuka Honey to ensure that it is authentic and meets our quality standards and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) regulations.  We use 10 different independent tests to help us determine it is genuine, quality manuka honey and to tell us its activity and origin.

HOW TO CHOOSE A MANUKA HONEY

When choosing your Manuka Honey you should consider two things:

1. That it is tested according to New Zealand MPI regulations to ensure it is authentic manuka honey from a reputable supplier.
2. Decide on what level of rating best suits your needs.

WHAT DOES MGO MEAN?   

MGO or methylglyoxal is the natural compound that is responsible for the special unique activity that is found in Manuka Honey.  Good manuka honey suppliers and beekeepers measure this to assess the level of activity.   However, the activity can be reflected in different ways which can make it confusing.

Here at Nelson Honey, we keep it simple and only refer to the MGO activity (Methylglyoxal). All rating systems include the level of Methylglyoxal as part of the measurement process. MGO Activity will be indicated on our products as a number.