NZ vows to look into Hong Kong's manuka honey test findings
Consumer Council study which found traces of sugar in manuka honey may have been distorted by other variables, expert suggests
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is treating the Consumer Council's honey test findings very seriously, after the tests revealed traces of sugar in some manuka honey brands sold in Hong Kong.
A ministry spokesman said it would work with Hong Kong to understand problems relating to New Zealand manuka honey.
"We will be engaging the council and other relevant Hong Kong agencies [to find out] how the tests were conducted and more specific detail on the New Zealand branded product involved in the test," he said.
The spokesman added that the ministry was aware of other tests in the past that had returned "false positives" for sugar.
Manuka honey is produced by bees that collect the nectar from the manuka tree. Produced mainly in New Zealand, it is marketed for its antibacterial and health-enhancing properties.
Last week, the Consumer Council said it found small quantities of sugar in several brands of honey sold in Hong Kong, including New Zealand's UMF manuka honey. The global standard for honey says it should not contain any added ingredient.