Updates
24 May 2017
Consultation has been extended to 13 June 2017.
Data related to honey samples, nectar samples and marker stability is available.
If you would like to get the data, email manuka.honey@mpi.govt.nz
Public meetings
We will hold an extra public meeting in Wellington on Tuesday 30 May from 10.30am to 1pm. This meeting is open to anyone with an interest in understanding more technical detail about the data used to develop the mānuka honey definition.
Register for the meeting so we know the likely number of people who'll attend. The meeting will Venue is still to be held at St Andrew's on the Terrace, 30 The Terrace, Wellington 6011.confirmed.
Have your say
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) wants to hear your views on the science definition to authenticate New Zealand mānuka honey and a proposal to extend existing – and introduce new – export requirements for all exported bee products.
These proposed requirements are intended to:
- facilitate market access and ensure the robustness of the assurances provided by New Zealand
- safeguard the safety and integrity of all New Zealand bee products for export
- set more rigorous and consistent requirements for honey and other bee products to be eligible for export
- provide confidence for markets and overseas regulators that honey labelled as mānuka is authentic
- support the sustainable economic growth of the apiculture industry.
MPI invites you to comment on the draft Animal Products Notice: General Export Requirements for Bee Products. MPI is particularly interested in your feedback set out in the Submission form .
Consultation is open from 11 April 2017 until 13 June 2017 (extended from 23 May 2017). Public meetings will be held during the consultation period.
Find out more about the science definition for mānuka honey
Consultation documents
- Draft Animal Product Notice: General export requirements for bee products
- Discussion document: Proposed general export requirements for bee products, applicable to all exporters of bee products
- Submission form: template for email submissions
- Summary of proposed requirements for participants in the honey export chain
Find out more
For more information regarding the consultation on the science-based definition for mānuka honey and new export requirements, check the questions and answers in our FAQ document (published 5 May 2017).
What we're proposing
MPI has formulated a package of export requirements which are proposed to be included in the Animal Products Notice: General Export Requirements for Bee Products . In summary, the proposed requirements relate to:
- the responsibilities of participants within the honey export chain
- bee product production, processing and preparation
- traceability
- labelling of monofloral and multifloral mānuka honey
- laboratory tests for mānuka honey
- record-keeping requirements
- transitional provisions.
Public meetings
MPI is holding a series of meetings during the consultation. The meetings are a chance to hear more about the proposals and to let us know what you think. Feedback from the meetings will be recorded and analysed along with formal submissions.
To provide an indication of the number of people attending each meeting, register your interest in attending.
| Location | Date and time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Palmerston North | Thursday 4 May 10:30am – 1pm | Convention Centre 354 Main Street Palmerston North |
| Hamilton | Friday 5 May 1pm – 3:30pm | Claudelands |
| Whangarei | Tuesday 9 May 12pm – 2:30pm* | Te Kotahitanga Expo Hall 7 Rust Avenue Whangarei |
| Gisborne | Thursday 11 May 1pm – 3:30pm | Emerald Hotel |
| Nelson | Monday 15 May 10:30am – 1pm | Trafalgar Centre |
| Christchurch | Wednesday 17 May 11am – 1:30pm | Sixty 6 on Peterborough |
| Alexandra | Thursday 18 May 12pm – 2:30pm** | The Orchard Garden |
| Wellington | Tuesday 30 May | St Andrew’s on the Terrace |
*Time has been amended on 26 April 2017 from originally 11am – 1:30pm.
**Time has been amended on 10 May 2017 from originally 1pm – 3:30pm.
Making your submission
Email your feedback on the consultation document by 5pm on 13 June 2017 to manuka.honey@mpi.govt.nz
Make sure you include in your submission:
- the title of the discussion document in the subject line of your email 'Proposed general export requirements for bee products'
- your name and title (if applicable)
- your organisation's name (if applicable)
- your address.
While we prefer email, you can send your submission by post to:
MPI Food Assurance Team
Ministry for Primary Industries
PO Box 2526
Wellington 6140
New Zealand.
Next steps
MPI will consider all submissions made on the proposals contained in the Animal Products Notice: General Export Requirements for Bee Products . A summary of submissions and MPI's response to these submissions will be posted on this web page.
Submissions are public information
Any submission you make becomes public information. Anyone can ask for copies of all submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the information available unless we have a good reason for withholding it. You can find those grounds in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA. Tell us if you think there are grounds to withhold specific information in your submission. Reasons might include that the information is commercially sensitive or personal information. Any decision MPI makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may require the information be released.