EDUCATION
4 minutes
Essential Takeaways
We're proud to announce that we are endorsed by The Detox Project as being glyphosate free; there’s no glyphosate in our honey.
Our manuka honey comes from remote regions where agricultural pesticides aren't used or are kept to a minimum, so you can shop safely knowing that the honey we supply is good for you and your family.
With concern growing over additives and harmful chemicals leaching into our foods, it’s only natural that people wonder about agricultural pesticides and honey.
Especially since bees can travel miles as they forage for nectar.
In this article, we break down the common herbicide glyphosate; what it is, why you should care, and how to ensure you get manuka honey that’s glyphosate free.
In this guide to glyphosate free manuka honey:
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What is glyphosate?
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Is glyphosate safe?
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Does manuka honey contain glyphosate?
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How can you avoid glyphosate?
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Our glyphosate-free certification
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Where to buy your glyphosate free honey
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Spoiler alert: we are certified as glyphosate free by The Detox Project. We also test EVERY batch of our manuka honey for glyphosate and it must have a Not Detected (ND) result to pass our standards before we export it to you.
What Is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is a very common agricultural herbicide; it’s particularly effective against perennial weeds.
It is widely used in agriculture, forestry, and residential gardens.
Is Glyphosate Safe?
That depends who you ask.
The World Health Organization labelled it as a probable carcinogen in 2015.
But since it’s widespread in standard agricultural practices throughout the world, it’s difficult to avoid it completely.
New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been keeping an eye on things, too.
Since 2014, MPI has tested glyphosate levels in fresh milk and cream, pea crops, wheat crops, and honey - and kept them below an acceptable level of 0.1mg/kg.
“As New Zealand's food safety regulator, our number one priority is the health and welfare of consumers.”
Glyphosate itself is “permitted for use in Japan”.
But despite the hard line on manuka honey (0.01mg/kg), Japan tolerates much higher levels of glyphosate in other food groups - such as 30mg/kg for oat grain, 0.5mg/kg for some citrus fruits, and 0.2mg/kg for commonly eaten garlic, beans, and carrots.
While different countries and products have different acceptable levels, research from The Detox Project states that there are no safe levels of glyphosate.
A recent CDC study highlights how prevalent glyphosate is in the USA.
Is Glyphosate in Manuka Honey?
Sometimes, yes. (But not ours).
When it comes to honey bees foraging for nectar, they fly up to 5km from the hive to search for food sources.
This makes it very difficult for beekeepers to completely remove any agricultural pesticides from their honey, unless they put their hives in remote areas hidden away from conventional farming.
As a result, while we’d all love to have glyphosate-free honey, certain countries have a threshold for what’s an acceptable trace amount to be found in honey.
However, these standards vary from country to country (you can use this search tool to find more information). This has recently caused an issue with Japan rejecting shipments that weren’t up to New Zealand’s export standards.
In April 2021, for example, Japan detected glyphosate (0.02mg/kg) in manuka honey from three brands during random testing at the border.
“Honey manufacturers point to Japan’s low standard for glyphosate, at no more than 0.01 parts per million, considered the detectable level, compared with New Zealand’s regulation of 0.1ppm and the European Union standard of 0.05ppm.”
How Can I Avoid Glyphosate?
The best way to get honey without glyphosate is to research your honey brands and their credentials first.
They should be able to provide glyphosate certifications and independent test results for their honey.
“Glyphosate free” means that no trace of glyphosate is detected, so the value is lower than 10 ppb (parts per billion) - the bottom limit of detection and the threshold for approval.
Certification is the best way to ensure you’re buying an authentic product.
You can find our accreditations here.
And whilst nobody wants agricultural chemicals in their foods, it's also important to consider how much is actually required to cause harm.
"For a real world example, a five-year-old child who was consuming honey with the default maximum residue level in New Zealand would need to eat roughly 230kg of honey every day for the rest of their life to reach the World Health Organisation acceptable daily intake for glyphosate."
- Andrew Pearson, New Zealand Food Safety's risk assessment manager
Our Manuka Honey is Verified Glyphosate-Free by The Detox Project.
We’re proud to be certified as glyphosate free by The Detox Project.
They undertake ongoing sophisticated research and they’re committed to human health, pure products, transparent information for consumers, and a safer and healthier environment.
Our Glyphosate Residue Free logo means that:
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We passed product tests showing that we are free from glyphosate residue.
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Our honey is tested at least twice a year for the detox project to prove that we’re still glyphosate free, and our certificate is renewed every year.
It is important to note that we test EVERY batch of our manuka honey for glyphosate and it must have a Not Detected (ND) result to pass our standards before we export it to you.
We want to share both our certification and our certification provider with you because it’s our policy to be as open and transparent as possible with customers.
Buy Your Glyphosate-Free Manuka Honey from New Zealand Honey Co.
Our raw manuka honey comes from manuka shrubs in rural and remote areas of New Zealand.
This ensures that our bees forage from natural landscapes rather than more modified areas that are likely to be impacted by agricultural pesticides, such as glyphosate.
Our certification simply proves what we already know: there’s no glyphosate in our honey.
But don’t just take our word for it.
We encourage you to check our full credentials here and feel safe in the knowledge that from us, you’re getting the best.
Or click here to shop our full range of glyphosate free manuka honey.
Not sure which grade of honey is right for you?
Your wellness journey starts with a spoonful a day.
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