Why is Manuka Honey expensive?

Manuka honey is certainly expensive when you compare it to any typical table honey you might purchase from your local grocery store. There are also a variety of different pricing options when buying legitimate Manuka honey.

In this article, we'll walk you through the special features of Manuka honey to help you understand how it is priced, why it’s so expensive, and why it’s in such high demand. 

Let’s start with why Manuka honey is more expensive than other honey varieties.

There are many different factors that influence the high price of Manuka honey, including its rarity, unique properties, and the methods used for harvesting and testing.

Heritage & Properties

Manuka honey is unique to New Zealand and comes from the mānuka tree, which is native to New Zealand. The word mānuka is the indigenous Māori word for the Leptospermum Scoparium tree.

Unlike most other types of honey, Manuka honey has very unique properties, which are tested and measured rigorously before export. These health and wellness properties are backed by a large body of science and found in varying quantities, depending on the ‘strength’ of the honey, or rather it’s UMF™ (Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association) grading number and MGO levels.

There are two definitive classifications for Manuka honey, set out by the New Zealand Government’s Ministry for Primary Industries: multifloral Manuka honey and monofloral Manuka honey. Monofloral Manuka honey is scientifically tested to contain nectar that comes primarily from the mānuka tree.

If you're looking to buy Manuka honey for specific health benefits, make sure that what you're buying is monofloral.

Environment 

While the mānuka tree grows throughout New Zealand, the most potent Manuka honey is often found in remote and wild areas such as high country farmland, making it difficult for beekeepers to access for harvesting. Helicopters are commonly used in the honey collecting process. When beehives are transported in and out of these locations, it comes at a significant cost. 

Not only can collecting the honey sometimes be challenging, but there is also a narrow window when the mānuka flowers are in bloom, between 2-8 weeks per year, depending upon the season. As the mānuka tree can be temperamental, weather conditions can greatly impact and limit the time that the mānuka flower is in bloom, making the season and total harvest very limited in years of poor weather. This even further reduces production harvest, hence it’s a very rare commodity, adding to its reputation as liquid gold.

It takes the perfect alignment of controllable and uncontrollable factors, such as climate, soil fertility, plant lineage, and bee health, for the highest quality Manuka honey to be produced.

During the short mānuka bloom, any weather from low temperatures to too much wind will affect the ability of bees to collect enough mānuka nectar. The pH and mineral levels in the soil can also have a large impact on the quality and health of the mānuka tree and ultimately affect the quality of the Manuka honey harvested. 

Extracting high-quality Manuka honey, whilst maintaining the well-being and health of the bees, is a specialised task for beekeepers. They work quickly and efficiently to ensure the honey collecting process is as stress-free for the bees as possible.  

Testing & Certification

Manuka honey is subject to extremely strict testing requirements imposed by the New Zealand Government. These tests, which are enforced by the Ministry for Primary Industries, ensure that any Manuka honey exported from New Zealand has been tested to contain a minimum level of certain chemical markers. As mentioned previously, this testing also determines if it is a monofloral or multi-floral Manuka honey.

In addition to the first level of government testing requirements, members of the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) are subject to additional testing and grading requirements to meet an even higher standard.

These tests provide additional confidence to consumers that the Manuka honey they are purchasing is genuine New Zealand Manuka honey of the highest purity and quality. This is displayed on jar labels as the UMF™ grading number and icon, as shown in the example for a UMF™ 10+ Manuka honey below.

The key chemical markers tested in the UMFHA testing include leptosperin, DHA and methylglyoxal.  

• Leptosperin: This marker is the best way to identify genuine Manuka honey as it is uniquely present in the nectar of the mānuka flower.
• Methylglyoxal: Commonly labelled as MGO, this naturally occurring compound is the main active antibacterial component of Manuka honey.
• Dihydroxyacetone: Otherwise known as DHA, this marker is also uniquely present in the nectar of the mānuka flower. DHA also helps to understand the maximum MGO concentration that a honey may reach over time. When bees collect mānuka nectar, they transform the DHA into MGO.

The UMFHA also provides additional consumer confidence by undertaking random Manuka honey testing from UMF™ certified honey jars on retail shelves all around the world. This deters counterfeits from entering the market. 

These testing requirements and licensing fees, which ensure that the Manuka honey you purchase is genuine and of the highest quality, further increase the costs required to provide the very best Manuka honey.

Learn more: UMF™ Honey and the UMFHA

Every batch of our Manuka honey is rigorously independently tested by one of two reputable New Zealand laboratories: Hill and Analytica, so our customers can be sure that what is printed on our label is exactly what is in the jar.

The UMF™ testing certificate is made available to all our customers, and you can trace your honey back to the source using this handy tool.

Scarcity 

As of 2018, there was only approximately 2800 tonnes of Manuka honey produced annually, compared to around 1.9 million tonnes of other honey produced globally. This 2800 tonnes has to supply the entire global market.

With high demand, this also drives the price up and results in many counterfeit and diluted products reaching the market, further increasing the cost of authentic Manuka honey.

Read more: How to Avoid Buying 'Fake' Manuka Honey

The higher the grade of Manuka honey, the less there is available and the more scarce it becomes. UMF™ 24+ Manuka honey or greater is extremely rare and not in abundance like the lower grades of Manuka honey. Its higher grading number also indicates a higher level of methylglyoxal, providing more potent antimicrobial properties. 

Now that you know why Manuka honey is more expensive, you may be wondering… 

Why does pricing vary so much from one brand of Manuka honey to another? 

If you find a jar of Manuka honey for sale at a low price, it is likely to be a lower grade with less potency, a multifloral honey, or not genuine and pure. 

As a general guide, an MGO 50+ Manuka honey is great for daily use in food and beverages. A UMF™ grade of 10+ (MGO levels of 263 or above) or any higher UMF™ grading number can also be used for food & drink, but is also considered a high enough MGO level for topical use in beauty and health & wellness.

If the Manuka honey you are purchasing has an MGO level lower than 83+ (equivalent to UMF 5+) or is a multi-floral Manuka honey, then it should be considerably cheaper than higher-graded Manuka honey, as the MGO levels are low. 

In contrast, a UMF™ 24+ Manuka honey with an MGO level of 1122+ is very difficult to harvest, has a high methylglyoxal content, and is, therefore, more expensive. Higher grades, such as our UMF™ 26+, UMF™28+ and UMF™ 30+, are even rarer and more expensive.

"But what if my jar shows a number that's not UMF or MGO?"

Many Manuka honey jars display numbers on the front from a different grading system, but simply having a number on the packaging doesn't necessarily mean that it's based on a credible test or scientific measurement, unless clearly stated.

For more information about the various Manuka honey grading systems, check out this article.

There are two specific numbers you can look for that will provide you with additional confidence that the Manuka honey you are buying is of high quality and potency, and has passed the New Zealand Government’s MPI honey export requirements:

1. UMF™ grading number: This is a licensed, trademarked, strictly managed and independently tested grading system which gives you confidence in your purchase. On our jars, you will see the UMF™ number on the front and UMF™ grading icon on the right side of our jars. Common UMF™ numbers include, but are not limited to UMF™ 5+, UMF™ 10+, UMF™ 15+, UMF™ 20+, UMF™ 24+, UMF™ 26+, UMF™ 28+ and UMF™ 30+. 
   
   
2. MGO: This number is a scientific measurement of the methylglyoxal levels in the honey. The higher the number, the better, as methylglyoxal levels are one of the key drivers of antibacterial potency. MGO is not a grading system - it only indicates the levels of methylglyoxal in the Manuka honey. While it's an important measure, it doesn't necessarily tell the full story and can omit some factors such as the freshness of the honey and if it's been heated or treated to increase MGO.

For more information about how MGO and UMF numbers are correlated, check out this calculator on our website.

Having both UMF™ and MGO numbers present on jars provides assurance that what you're purchasing is the real deal.

Where to buy top-quality, authentic, certified Manuka honey

If you're at the beginning of your journey learning about Manuka honey, it can sometimes feel like a lot to take in. That's why we make it easy for you, by providing nothing but the best quality authentic, independently tested, UMF™ certified Manuka honey on the market.

Shop our range here.

Unsure which grade is right for you? Take our free quiz here.

Want to learn more about Manuka honey before buying? Read our well-researched articles here.