What is Manuka honey?

Why raw manuka honey?

Raw manuka honey is exactly as nature intended Manuka Honey; pure, raw, unprocessed, unpasteurized and unheated. Vitamins, minerals and nutrients remain intact, contains a higher natural enzyme content and high amino acid profile, thicker consistency, slightly grainy texture, incredible aromas and natural flavor profile. Read more about the difference between raw and creamed honey.

What does MGO (Methylglyoxal) mean?

MGO is the abbreviation of Methylglyoxal and is the naturally present substance in Manuka Honey. MGO (Methylglyoxal) forms in the honey made from the nectar due to the presence of DHA (dihydroxyacetone; natural precursor of MGO in nectar) from the Manuka blossom.

Who is it for, who can use it?

Here at MNZ we have a handy tip for anyone who wants to use Manuka Honey; the higher the MGO value, the more powerful the high-quality and natural bioactivity. All MGO values ​​of Manuka honey are suitable for anyone aged 1 year or older. The body does NOT have to get used to higher MGO values, that's a myth. All MNZ products fit into your daily health routines; both active and passive. It is an optimal support for the body. MGO 100+; for daily use during breakfast. MGO 250+; for daily use with limited support for the stomach and intestines. Ideal for athletes. MGO 400+; mild support for stomach and intestines; ideal for the skin and small wounds and perfect support during the winter months. MGO 550+; powerful support for stomach and intestines such as with heartburn; ideal for skin conditions and wounds that will not close. MGO 1000+; very high grade natural bioactivity and support for the body. MGO 1200+ & MGO 1500+; special high-quality natural bioactivity and powerful natural support for stomach and intestines; ideal for problem skin. All of the above MGO values ​​are ideal to eat straight from the spoon on an empty stomach or dissolved in lukewarm water.

Manuka Honey has many applications. You can consume all Manuka Honey from MNZ directly on an empty stomach, you can also dissolve a teaspoon in water (sports drink) or add it to your breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also apply Manuka Honey directly to the skin in case of wounds that will not close, acne or other inflamed skin conditions.

Manuka Honey has been extensively studied worldwide since the 1990s. In 2006, German scientists, led by Professor Thomas Henle (affiliated with the Technical University of Dresden), made a discovery that these exceptionally high levels of Methylglyoxal (MGO) in Manuka Honey are solely responsible for the high-quality and natural bio-active operation. Professor Peter Molan, affiliated with the University of Waikato, has been researching the special effect of Manuka Honey since 1985, together with the Waikato Honey Research Unit. His pioneering work resulted in numerous scientific publications about the special effect of Manuka Honey; mainly focused on the medical field and applications, for which he has received a lot of recognition over the years. Professor Peter Molan already had strong suspicions about this effect, but he and his team were unable to identify it at the time. Professor Peter Molan has been working with Professor Thomas Henle for many years. Professor Peter Molan passed away in September 2015. There have been many scientific publications over the years about the properties of Manuka Honey.

For years, Manuka Honey has been studied by renowned research institutes worldwide for its bioactive effect. Peter Molan has been researching the special properties of Manuka Honey since the 1990s, on which he has published several scientific publications. Thomas Henle discovered in 2006 that naturally occurring MGO makes an enormous contribution to the bioactive power of Manuka Honey.

All MNZ products are made with our own high grade raw Manuka Honey.

Honey has a very long history as a beneficial food. Raw Manuka Honey also fits into a healthy lifestyle as vitamins, minerals and nutrients remain intact in raw Manuka Honey, has a higher content of natural enzymes and high amino acid profile, characterized by a thicker consistency and slightly grainy texture accompanied by incredible aromas and natural flavor profile.

Manuka Honey has a wide range of applications such as: as a food; as a sports nutrition in the form of sports drink (mixed with water); gastrointestinal optimisation; support when applied to the skin for irritations & acne. Manuka Honey is known to have bioactive effects. Manuka Honey is a treat for the body.

No. That is a short and sweet answer because more Manuka honey is consumed than produced. All raw Manuka Honey from MNZ undergoes a rigorous series of analyzes before the final product is prepared for consumption. All information about our Quality Guarantee can be found at MNZ Quality guarantee.

No. It is up to the producer to determine whether the honey remains raw or whether it is processed into a cream honey. MNZ produces ONLY raw Manuka honey.

Raw Manuka honey; Just as nature intended: pure, raw, unprocessed, unpasteurized and unheated honey tends to crystallize over time, a natural and beneficial occurrence. Honey is generally a super-saturated sugar solution, containing more than 70% sugars and less than 20% water. Therefore, there is more dissolved sugar than the water content can naturally hold at room temperature. In the warm hive environment (about 35° C), honey sugar is stable in dissolved form, but at lower temperatures, honey sugar forms crystals and honey becomes solid. Honey crystallization ensures that the rich flavor and quality characteristics of honey are preserved. Some honey crystallizes out uniformly; some will be partially crystallized and form two layers, with the crystallized layer at the bottom of the jar and aliquid on top. Crystal size varies depending on the type of honey. Some honeys form small, uniform crystals and others form large, granular ones. The faster honey crystallizes, the finer the texture will be. Crystallized honey becomes lighter in color and more opaque than its liquid equivalent. This results because glucose tends to fall out of solution and crystallize first because it has a lower solubility than fructose; these are the two main sugars of honey. Glucose crystals are naturally pure white. The crystal size is also partly determined by which area the Manuka Honey comes from New Zealand. Raw Manuka honey is harder than the average honey because of its natural properties. White residue/crystallization of raw Manuka honey is typical of raw honey and shows the natural crystallization of the honey. The appearance will immediately return to liquid honey once it is gently warmed in hot water (max. 35° C). Centrifuging is the traditional way of extracting honey. Through this process, the larger pieces of wax are removed and then poured to avoid impurities and the small pieces of wax that remain in the honey after centrifugation. In this way, a cleaner honey is obtained through a process in which it is not exposed to heat at any time and therefore keeps its natural properties intact.

Characteristics of raw honey
Vitamins, minerals and nutrients remain intact, higher content of natural enzymes and high amino acid profile, thicker consistency, slightly grainy texture, incredible flavors and natural flavor profile

The 4 production steps of raw MGO Manuka Honey:
Step 1 uses a cold extraction method (max 35° C) to extract the honey from the honeycombs
Step 2 is to collect the honey in large honeycombs
Step 3 is to lightly filter the honey to remove any stray / covering wax and bee residue
Step 4 is to fill the jars with pure, raw, unprocessed, unpasteurized and unheated Manuka honey

Cream of Manuka Honey
Honey can also be "creamed" to artificially control the formation of crystals, this process is called homogenizing; to make the honey uniform throughout in structure and composition and to reduce the honey to small particles of uniform size and distribute it evenly. When honey is creamed, the honey is also aerated. The creaming process creates a honey with uniform minute crystals - less than 25 microns (0.025 mm) - so fine that the honey remains smooth and spreadable indefinitely. The honey skimming process involves thoroughly mixing "seed honey," which contains only very fine crystals, with liquid honey that "blocks" the formation of larger crystals. The mixing process is temperature controlled to produce the finest granular honey. After some time it undergoes natural crystallization. The proper crystallization temperature is 16-18° C. At higher temperatures the crystallization process is slower and the crystals reach a larger size. By heating honey to a temperature of 40° C - 65° C and holding it for several days, honey passes from the crystallized state to the liquid. Honey cream machines have a special mechanical mixer that allows one to carry out the recrystallization process, after which honey acquires an ideal "spread" consistency, similar to chocolate creams for children. This process involves cyclic aeration and intensive mixing of honey over several days until the correct consistency is achieved. Aeration takes place during mixing. Mixing is carried out several times a day for a period of about 10-15 minutes. For example, one can add crystallized honey to the liquid honey at the beginning. "Creaming" is aimed at producing many small nuclei of crystallization and preventing the growth of pre-existing honey crystals. It is a mechanical "grinding of honey"-crystals. This honey stored at a constant temperature retains this consistency for many months. Centrifuging with increased heat provides a higher yield of extracted honey. Through this process, the larger pieces of wax are removed and then poured to avoid impurities and the small pieces of wax that remain in the honey after centrifugation. Pressure filtration is an industrial filtration process, apparently similar to pouring, that is used by many producers but is counterproductive for honey because it changes the state of the product and removes some of its nutrients. During pressure filtration, honey is heated and then pumped through tiny microfilters that expel it at high speeds, putting it directly into the containers in which it is marketed, much like soft drinks. In the case of honey, the heat to which it is exposed causes changes in its natural state and some of the nutritional elements are eliminated or trapped in the fine meshes used, producing a honey with a smooth, refined and creamy appearance, but losing some of its properties. The other current honey processing system is pasteurization. During this thermal process, honey is exposed to high temperatures, leading to loss of nutrients and destruction of enzymes during the heating process. In the case of honey, it is especially important to ensure that the natural state of the product does not change, that there are no changes in diastase, an important enzyme in it and sensitive to heat, therefore this process most changes its natural properties.

The 8 production steps of cream Manuka Honey:
Step 1 is to use an extraction method between 40° C - 65° C to extract the honey from the honeycombs
Step 2 is to collect the honey in large honeycombs
Step 3 is to filter the honey to remove any stray / covering wax and bee residue
Step 4 is to filter the honey to 200 microns (0.2 mm) to remove even more
Step 5 is to increase the temperature to 40° C - 65° C to create an even more fluid honey (HMF increases!)
Step 6 is to aerate / stir the honey for up to from 3 days to 2 weeks
Step 7 is to mix the honey for 10 to 15 minutes several times a day and cool it back to 12-15°C
Step 8 is to fill the jars with creamed manuka honey