Change of manuka standard ?

[frazzledfozzle]

So apparently MPI are looking at changing the manuka standard…
And apparently we have until June 30 to send in data that might contribute to any change that might happen.
The data sent will need to meet certain criteria and that criteria can be sent by emailing manuka.honey@mpi.govt.nz

Im very surprised there wasn’t a notification sent out to all commercial beekeepers so we all had an opportunity to participate.
Last time the standard was dreamed up im sure the corporates had a lot of sway in what It was going to look like and it seems that could happen this time also if some of us mum and dad outfits don’t send in as much applicable data as we can.

With MPI looking at changing the standard what will that do to the demand for honey between now and when they decide the standard ?

will buyers even want to buy honey if they don’t know what The new standard might look like ?

 

[Alastair]

My thoughts on the whole thing are this. -

Despite imposition of the current standards and the resultant much lower volume of "manuka" available to be exported, prices are dropping.

So, if the standard is rehashed and more honey can be defined as manuka, is it really going to change anything?

 

[tristan]

My thoughts on the whole thing are this. -

Despite imposition of the current standards and the resultant much lower volume of "manuka" available to be exported, prices are dropping.

So, if the standard is rehashed and more honey can be defined as manuka, is it really going to change anything?

it would make a big change to areas like northland where a lot of it just misses the standard (typically 2map).
however will it make a big change overall? no, because the big problem is the value of the non-manuka honey.
cream doesn't last for long when there is no bead and butter.

 

[Jamo]

At their presentation I didn't get the feeling that the standard was going to be changing much if at all. Time will tell

 

[frazzledfozzle]

At their presentation I didn't get the feeling that the standard was going to be changing much if at all. Time will tell

yes I think it’s probably just a lowering of the 2map that needs to happen and maybe a tweak of the 3PLA levels.

but who knows its a government department anything’s on the cards
they might be able to squeeze another tax in their somewhere but that will be fine as long as we are kind to each other

 

[James]

So apparently MPI are looking at changing the manuka standard…
And apparently we have until June 30 to send in data that might contribute to any change that might happen.
The data sent will need to meet certain criteria and that criteria can be sent by emailing manuka.honey@mpi.govt.nz

Im very surprised there wasn’t a notification sent out to all commercial beekeepers so we all had an opportunity to participate.
Last time the standard was dreamed up im sure the corporates had a lot of sway in what It was going to look like and it seems that could happen this time also if some of us mum and dad outfits don’t send in as much applicable data as we can.

With MPI looking at changing the standard what will that do to the demand for honey between now and when they decide the standard ?

will buyers even want to buy honey if they don’t know what The new standard might look like ?

So is that june 2021 or 2022?

 

[frazzledfozzle]

So is that june 2021 or 2022?

2021

It’s beyond me why we all weren’t notified .
Its pretty important I would have thought

 

[Bron]

2021

It’s beyond me why we all weren’t notified .
Its pretty important I would have thought

They actually don’t want any sensible, grass roots industry led advice, it would mean that the lovely reports that they have read, written by people who have no real idea about the product or it’s production would be worthless. No one wants to feel worthless when they have a PHD/multiple degrees. So the primary producer must be wrong.

 

[James]

2021

It’s beyond me why we all weren’t notified .
Its pretty important I would have thought

Wow .... thats fast work by a gvt agency.... maybe by the end of july the price of honey will hsve gone up by 3 bucks a kg...

 

[Bron]

@James, don’t we’ll all wish!

 

[Bron]

So, I’ve been thinking about this. Why don’t we ask the labs to release the last 5 years of Manuka testing? Or is this already part of this research. @Jacob

 

[Dennis Crowley]

So apparently MPI are looking at changing the manuka standard…

Not changing the standard, but perhaps a tweak here n there if they get enough data to do so.

 

[frazzledfozzle]

Not changing the standard, but perhaps a tweak here n there if they get enough data to do so.

a tweaks as good as a change

 

[Jacob]

So, I’ve been thinking about this. Why don’t we ask the labs to release the last 5 years of Manuka testing? Or is this already part of this research. @Jacob

A large amount of our anonymised historical data is already part of the submissions @Bron. And it's pretty compelling data to be fair. The main thing it shows - which most people already know - is that DNA is not very useful.

 

[John B]

I went along to MPI's presentation at conference and when it came to question time I stood up and explained that I was just an ordinary beekeeper at the bottom of the ladder and had very little to do with MPI directly but that the decisions they made were having a severe effect on beekeepers like myself. I went on to say that I understood why the actions of certain companies had made some sort of regulation necessary.. I then held up two pots of my honey and said. This pot has no manuka in it, this pot is non-manuka but if I was to Magically put them together I would have multi floral manuka . Honey typing should be based on science not magic. When I sat down I heard a fair bit of applause so I assume I had at least some support in the audience for my ideas.
As for providing data, that line of non-manuka honey is the only one I have for this year so it's not a huge dataset and probably won't make any difference although I will send it to them but and it is a big but ,that one sample is very important to me.

 

[Bron]

A large amount of our anonymised historical data is already part of the submissions @Bron. And it's pretty compelling data to be fair. The main thing it shows - which most people already know - is that DNA is not very useful.

Thank you for your reply @Jacob , much appreciated.

 

[frazzledfozzle]

Not changing the standard, but perhaps a tweak here n there if they get enough data to do so.

any tweak that means a previous non manuka is miraculously turned into manuka is a change.

What gets me Is the standard is something that a few people in business suits have come up with because they “needed to do something” since the “ standard ” was brought in some people’s honey has become unsaleable.

Our honey, which used to pass the Codex standard for manuka honey, is some years mono some years multi or non manuka.

We never used to have to blend honey it was sold pure as the bees collected it but now blending is an absolute necessity.

We have to buy half a drum of high 2map to turn 4 tonne of 5+ non manuka into mono manuka because our 2 map came back at 4.8 .

This is ridiculous how can 150kg of honey turn 4000kg of honey from a non manuka to a mono manuka.

Only the boffins in suits and lab coats could come up with a standard like this.

 

[tristan]

Only the boffins in suits and lab coats could come up with a standard like this.

if i recall correctly it also the statisticians. the standard is not just about whats actually produced in the wild but also tweaked a bit to counter fraud.

 

[James]

any tweak that means a previous non manuka is miraculously turned into manuka is a change.

What gets me Is the standard is something that a few people in business suits have come up with because they “needed to do something” since the “ standard ” was brought in some people’s honey has become unsaleable.

Our honey, which used to pass the Codex standard for manuka honey, is some years mono some years multi or non manuka.

We never used to have to blend honey it was sold pure as the bees collected it but now blending is an absolute necessity.

We have to buy half a drum of high 2map to turn 4 tonne of 5+ non manuka into mono manuka because our 2 map came back at 4.8 .

This is ridiculous how can 150kg of honey turn 4000kg of honey from a non manuka to a mono manuka.

Only the boffins in suits and lab coats could come up with a standard like this.

Science in action Honey.

 

[Dennis Crowley]

any tweak that means a previous non manuka is miraculously turned into manuka is a change.

What gets me Is the standard is something that a few people in business suits have come up with because they “needed to do something” since the “ standard ” was brought in some people’s honey has become unsaleable.

Our honey, which used to pass the Codex standard for manuka honey, is some years mono some years multi or non manuka.

We never used to have to blend honey it was sold pure as the bees collected it but now blending is an absolute necessity.

We have to buy half a drum of high 2map to turn 4 tonne of 5+ non manuka into mono manuka because our 2 map came back at 4.8 .

This is ridiculous how can 150kg of honey turn 4000kg of honey from a non manuka to a mono manuka.

Only the boffins in suits and lab coats could come up with a standard like this.

That's the down side of any auditing/measuring system, is that some fall outside the parameters, so you need to find away to make yours fit inside the parameters. The audit/measuring system is not going away, in fact I think it will be solidified after this next round.