Mānuka Honey FAQ

Mānuka Honey truly is the gold standard revered by naturopaths, dietitians, elite athletes, and natural health consumers around the world. Mānuka Honey is produced from the nectar of the Mānuka tree. For over 50 years, we’ve been perfecting our beekeeping craft, sourcing Mānuka Honey from the remote hills of New Zealand. Honoring the Indigenous Māori people who have used Mānuka for its therapeutic and medicinal abilities for centuries.

As close to nature as you can get from hive to jar, raw, unpasteurized, non-GMO and Glyphosate residue-free certified. Rich in amino acids, Vitamins B & C, antioxidants, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and bioactive compounds. Mānuka Honey is a potent superfood at the forefront of natural health sciences. Delicious, thick, and with a characteristic light amber to dark brown color, Mānuka Honey has long been admired as an exceptional honey with a distinct, complex flavor and rich aroma.

Learn more about the uses, benefits, and history of Comvita Manuka Honey

  • Daily immune support
  • Skincare
  • Aiding digestive and gut health
  • Antioxidant protection
  • Soothing coughs and sore throats
  • Natural pre-workout energy boost
  • As a beneficial sweetener alternative for teas & coffee
  • The Top 5 benefits of Manuka Honey | Comvita

Mānuka honey comes from a complex collection of natural compounds called the Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF™) – and you won’t find it anywhere but in authentic New Zealand Mānuka Honey. UMF is the system that independently certifies the presence and quality of all factors that make New Zealand Mānuka Honey unique, ensuring you get honey that is top quality and meets your needs. The Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) independently tests and certifies every batch for four key factors that make the all-important UMF rating found on every jar. With the UMF rating, you can confidently choose the right option for you when investing in your health and wellness. The higher the UMF number the more potent the wellness benefits in the Mānuka honey.

Not all Mānuka Honey are UMF rated – only those that have been independently tested and verified by UMFHA are given a UMF rating.

Learn more about our quality and Certifications.

MGO stands for methylglyoxal. MGO forms during the honey’s maturation process when dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a compound found in Mānuka nectar, is converted into methylglyoxal. MGO is principally responsible for Mānuka honey's unique non-peroxide antibacterial activity that is not present in other honey types.

The UMF™ grading system has two components which are expressed on any UMF licensed honey product:

1. The label claim that it is Mānuka

2. The number - this represents four chemical markers that indicate the content of this honey to ensure purity and quality. These are: HMF, DHA (dihydroxyacetone), MGO (methylglyoxal), and Leptosperin (a plant compound).

Comvita is New Zealand’s leading producer of UMF grade Mānuka Honey with the highest certifications and transparency. Comvita’s rigorous standards, in-house lab, and commitment to quality are unrivaled. 

Comvita invests more in research and science than any other Mānuka company. Our science and research activities cover a range of areas such as laboratory research, clinical trials, Mānuka tree, bee and hive health, sustainable and regenerative ecosystems and production, industry leading quality excellence, field research, and data analytics. We collaborate with world-leading scientific experts and research institutes to advance the science behind the composition, quality, and benefits of our Mānuka honey.

Comvita Multifloral Mānuka Honey is a delicious blend of UMF 5+ Mānuka Honey and other New Zealand wildflower nectar rich in floral flavor. Choose Multifloral Mānuka as a high quality, everyday sweet table honey.

UMF varieties are pure monofloral Mānuka Honey - nectar gathered by bees from the Manuka flower only. Potency ranges from UMF 5+ to an ultra-rare UMF 25+. The higher the UMF number the more potent the wellness benefits in the Mānuka honey.

Mānuka Honey is unique to New Zealand and to obtain pure Mānuka Honey is a specialized task for beekeepers. Given its short flowering season, only 2-6 weeks out of the entire year, it takes immense skill, planning, and resources to harvest Mānuka Honey. Mānuka Honey truly is a natural wonder and one of the most versatile and delicious ways to help support your body.

Renowned for its unique flavor, Mānuka Honey contains more than 2,000 different compounds – over 20 times more than other types of honey. The unique properties of Mānuka Honey are well understood by consumers around the world, thereby creating a continually high level of demand. Comvita is the only Mānuka honey company to have a government-accredited laboratory. Each batch of our Mānuka honey undergoes more than 34 separate tests to ensure the highest quality.

Honey is a natural product, influenced by seasonal and regional conditions and the nectar source (the blossoms) visited by the bees. Honey color ranges from light amber to dark brown, and its flavor varies from delectably mild to distinctively bold. Like a good wine, honey will grow in flavor and darken with age.

Honey can harden or crystallize over time, indicating that it's unprocessed and retains its natural properties. To change the consistency of the honey, place the jar in a warm water bath to slowly loosen then stir.

Store in a cool, dry place like a pantry or cupboard, away from direct sunlight and heat sources, and ensure the jar is tightly sealed. Mānuka Honey does not need to be refrigerated.

Mānuka honey is a natural food so it can be used every day in the amount you would normally use honey. Recommended intake is 1 Tablespoon per day to maximize the benefits.

Comvita's honey is pure with no additives or preservatives, and it is naturally GMO free. Antibiotics are not used in any beekeeping or honey production.

Yes, with one exception - we do not recommend that honey be given to children under the age of one.

No. While we produce sterile Medical-Grade honey products in Australia and New Zealand.

Comvita uses PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging for our jars. PET packaging is safe, strong, recyclable, and shatter-proof. 

Comvita jars and lids are Bisphenol A (BPA) free. BPA is not used to make PET, nor is a component of any of the materials used to manufacture PET.

We ensure our packaging is suitable and compliant for all our products. The PET used for our honey products are compliant to USFDA21 CFR 177.1630 which looks at migrations of substances from the plastic. This has been confirmed through testing by our supplier. PET meets all FDA and EU packaging requirements for safety.

Orders & Shipping

Orders ship from our Southern California warehouse Monday through Friday and areexpected to be delivered within 3 to 10 business days. Our warehouse is closed on weekends. 

You may notice a short delay in receiving your shipping confirmation emails.
If it hasn’t arrived within 5 business days, please contact us at hello@comvita.com.

We do not ship to: Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Our Customer Experience Team will gladly assist with any issue. For the fastest assistance, please email us at hello@comvita.com and provide a photo of the issue for reference.

You are also welcome to give us a call at (855) 449-2201 select option 2. All inquiries are addressed within 36 hours. 

If you are not satisfied with the products you have ordered, please contact our Customer Experience Team at hello@comvita.com or (855) 449-2201 select option 2 and we would be happy to discuss a resolution.

For details on our return policy click here.

Once your order has been submitted, we cannot cancel or amend your order. Please contact our Customer Experience Team at hello@comvita.com with the order number to explore your options.

To return products for a refund, please contact our Customer Experience Team at hello@comvita.com within seven days of receipt of your products to discuss your options. Please note that returned products need to be unopened and in their original condition, with the packing slip enclosed.

Once we have received notification from our warehouse that the products have been received and are in their original and resalable condition, we can then process your refund, less a 20% restocking fee. Refunds are paid via the same method as original purchase.

Comvita does not accept returns for products purchased through a third party. Please contact the retailer you purchased from to discuss your options.

Genuine Comvita products may be purchased online here on Comvita.com and from leading health and wellness retail partners such as Costco, Costco.com, Amazon, iHerb, Vitacost, and thousands of natural foods and grocery retailers across the U.S.

Bee Propolis FAQ

Bee Propolis is created by the bees from natural sap and resins found on trees. Trees produce these resins at the site of a plant injury and on new shoots. The bees collect the resin and carry it back to the hive where they mix beeswax and enzymes to make Propolis.

Learn more about the uses, benefits, and sourcing of Comvita Bee Propolis

Comvita Propolis contains high levels of active bioflavonoids, with well-known antioxidant properties. Propolis helps to support and maintain a healthy immune system.