Organically grown foods are becoming more popular as people worry more about the health and the safety of the food they eat. There are few honeys in the world that are actually 100% organic. Manuka is one of the precious few.

Organic Bee Keeping of Manuka Honey described:

A day in the life of the organic beekeeper is much different than that of the traditional beekeeper. There are strict standards in place in order to produce “Certified Organic” honey, and these rules are fully enforced by a third-party organization. In the case of Manuka, it is certified together by the USDA and New Zealand’s AsureQuality. New Zealand has some of the strictest organic standards in the world!

No chemicals or drugs are allowed in or around the bees or their hives or in the materials used to construct their hives. Hives with diseases that are not treatable with organic methods must be burned. The hives are placed in locations that are environmentally pure and uncontaminated.

The organic beekeeper leaves enough honey in the hive for the bees to thrive over winter, without having to feed them non-nutritive sweeteners. Organic beekeepers do not use artificial means of reproduction, allowing nature to provide the “fittest of the species”.

Organic honey is carefully extracted and warmed only up to hive temperature -- heat destroys the natural enzymes in honey. Handpacking the honey may result in some crystallization later, but it is an assurance that the honey has not been heated too high.

It is a difficult task to keep a beehive healthy and thriving. It is even harder to do so without resorting to the quick fix of medications and chemicals. With proper foresight and planning, and a little extra time, beekeepers can produce organic honey and bee products without jeopardizing the delicate balance of our natural world. It is our responsibility to support Certified Organic products to encourage the detoxification of agriculture.