Manuka honey’s much-hyped healing properties have proved a money-spinner for beekeepers in Australia and New Zealand, but a push to trademark its name has sparked a bitter row between the two countries.
The fracas erupted when a New Zealand association applied for exclusive rights to market manuka honey in five countries, including the United States, Britain, Australia and China, incensing Australian beekeepers.
Nicknamed “liquid gold”, manuka honey is produced by bees foraging on the flowers of the tea tree shrub which grows wild in both countries.
Devotees hail it as a wonder food, with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that can cure skin conditions, heal sore throats, boost immunity and aid digestion.
Celebrity fans include Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kourtney Kardashian, a manuka “brand ambassador”.
In his autobiography, tennis champion Novak Djokovic cites manuka honey as a key part of the organic diet that helped revive his career.
The honey’s key ingredient is methylglyoxal (MGO), an antimicrobial molecule, found in higher concentrations in manuka than other honey varieties.
While scientists dispute the claims made on its behalf, manuka is now a staple in high-end supermarkets around the world and appears in products ranging from face cream to shampoos and lip balm.
Prices soar in line with the proportion of MGO, reaching up to 300 euros for a one-kilogram jar containing 700 milligrams of the antiseptic ingredient.
It has helped the value of New Zealand’s honey exports triple in the five years to 2016 on soaring demand, particularly from China.
Australians are equally adamant that their honey should be called manuka because it comes from the same plant as the Kiwi product and has similar MGO levels.
The New Zealanders want to secure protected status for honey labelled manuka, meaning only their products can carry the name.
“Our initiative is not an anti-Australian thing,” said John Rawcliffe, spokesman for the New Zealand association Unique Manuka Factor. “The most important thing is to protect the customers,” Rawcliffe said.
The absence of certification has helped counterfeiters hawk their version of manuka honey to consumers, he said.
But Australian producers say New Zealand has no right to claim a monopoly on manuka honey. — AFP
Mathilde Blottiere
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