January 30, 2024
DNA shows NZ manuka unique
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The Mānuka Charitable Trust say a new DNA study strengthens its argument that Australian honey producers should not be using the term manuka.
Plant & Food Research analysed 2,000 variable DNA markers in the DNA from New Zealand manuka and Tasmanian tea tree or leptospermum scoparium and found significant genetic differences – enough for the scientists to recommend the two plants should be called different species.
Trust chair Pita Tipene says it’s further proof mānuka is a taonga under the Treaty of Waitangi, and its honey can only be sourced from and produced in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Plant & Food science group leader David Chagné says analysis of the genome showed a clear separation between the two countries, with more than 9 million years since there was any real crossover between the species.
Hone producers in Aotearoa say the distinct health benefits of honey comes from New Zealand’s mānuka tree – not products derived from other origins.