Mānuka honey is made by honey bees collecting nectar from Mānuka flowers and turning it into honey inside the hive. Beekeepers harvest and extract the honey before it is tested and packed. Its characteristic methylglyoxal, known as MGO, develops naturally from a compound present in the nectar.
For New Zealand Mānuka honey, the journey begins with the flowering Mānuka plant and continues through the hive, harvesting and preparation for the jar.
1. Bees collect nectar from Mānuka flowers
Mānuka, Leptospermum scoparium, produces nectar containing sugars and a naturally occurring compound called dihydroxyacetone, or DHA.
DHA is the starting material from which MGO develops in the honey. Research involving the University of Waikato has examined how Mānuka flowers produce this nectar and how its composition varies. The chemistry associated with Mānuka honey therefore begins in the flower, before the honey is harvested.
2. The bees turn nectar into honey
Honey bees process the collected nectar with enzymes and store it in the wax cells of the honeycomb. As water is removed, the nectar becomes more concentrated.
Once the honey is ready for storage, the bees cover the cells with a thin wax cap. Honey serves as a food reserve for the colony, as the British Beekeepers Association explains in its guide to honey.
This is the same basic process used to make other floral honeys. For Mānuka honey, the difference starts with the nectar the bees collect and the compounds it contains.
3. Beekeepers harvest and extract the honey
Harvesting involves removing honey-filled combs from the hive and separating the honey from the wax.
One common extraction method starts by removing the wax caps from the honeycomb. The frames are then placed in a spinning extractor, which draws honey out of the cells.
The extracted honey passes through filters to remove wax fragments and other debris before being collected in containers. Utah State University’s beekeeping guide describes this process. The equipment and handling can vary between producers.
How MGO develops during maturation
MGO develops through the natural conversion of DHA from Mānuka nectar. This chemical change can continue after the honey has been harvested.
Research at the University of Waikato shows that temperature and the honey’s composition influence the conversion. MGO levels can change during storage, so the concentration is measured through testing rather than assumed from the honey’s age.
An MGO rating records the measured concentration of methylglyoxal in milligrams per kilogram of honey. Our guide to Mānuka honey and MGO ratings explains how to read the number on the jar.
4. The honey is tested
New Zealand honey labelled as Mānuka for export must meet the scientific definition set by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
The testing combines four chemical markers with one DNA marker from Mānuka pollen. These identify Mānuka honey and distinguish between monofloral and multifloral types. MGO concentration is a separate measurement.
5. The honey is packed into jars
After extraction and preparation, the honey is transferred into jars for sale.
At Kinloch Honey, our honey is warmed only to allow it to be transferred from the barrel into jars. We add nothing during packaging.
Our current batch has been tested in New Zealand and the UK. You can see the laboratory report references and recorded results on our batch testing and lab results page.
From the nectar gathered by bees to the finished jar, each stage helps explain the Mānuka honey you bring to your table.
Explore Kinloch MGO 600+ New Zealand Mānuka honey, available in a 250g jar.