Packed in New Zealand: Why It Matters for Mānuka Honey

Two jars can both say mānuka and both say New Zealand, yet one was filled in Tauranga and the other in a warehouse on another continent. For mānuka, that difference matters.

Harvested is not the same as packed

“Honey of New Zealand origin” can describe bulk honey that left the country in drums and was blended, repacked and labelled elsewhere. Once that happens, the jar on the shelf may no longer be linked to any particular New Zealand test result.

“Packed in New Zealand” means the honey was put into its final jar inside the country, inside the system that tested it.

The system that comes with it

• MPI-registered exporters. New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries registers exporters and issues each an ID. The ID ties a shipment to a known, audited operator rather than to a brand name.
• Testing for export. Honey exported as mānuka must pass MPI’s science definition: four chemicals from mānuka nectar and DNA from mānuka pollen. Read how the definition works.
• Risk Management Programmes. Packing runs under a registered RMP, a documented plan for how honey is handled between hive and jar.

What to look for on the label

1. Product of New Zealand
2. Packed in New Zealand, ideally naming the packer
3. An exporter or producer you can identify
4. A batch code that leads somewhere

Ours

Genesis Honey Co honey is harvested in the Bay of Plenty, packed in New Zealand under an RMP-registered process, and exported under MPI certification with exporter ID AEX000242. The batch code on every jar traces to its harvest and laboratory result.