Claire Webster: Manuka Honey Mead the Biology, the Chemistry and the People

The honey variety used to produce mead is of great importance to the final product, and there is great interest in research regarding the influence of this on mead.1,2 Mānuka is New Zealand’s most globally sought-after honey variety, due to the bioactive, particularly antibiotic, effects conferred by methyl glyoxal (MGO), which is formed in the honey via conversion of the dihydroxy acetone found in Mānuka nectar (Fig. 1).3Several New Zealand meaderies already produce Mānuka mead, however it has not previously been explored in the scientific literature.

This research seeks to explore the chemistry, fermentation performance and sensory profile of a unique New Zealand product, and its findings could shape the way that it is produced in industry. </p>