Australian honey, especially varieties like Manuka and Jarrah, is expensive due to its premium quality (purity, high bioactivity), strict biosecurity preventing pests/diseases, rare native flora (Manuka, Jarrah trees flowering infrequently), high international demand, specialized testing (MGO, TA ratings), and its positioning as a medicinal superfood, all leading to complex production and marketing costs.
Australian honey is highly sought after in global markets for its unique tastes and strong reputation for being produced cleanly and sustainably. All around Australia honey bees visit more than 700 native flowering plants to collect nectar and pollen to produce honey.
A New Zealand company has created what's believed to be the world's most expensive honey. The Eternal Gold collection by Taranaki-based Naki Honey was inspired by archaeologists' discovery of 3000-year-old honey sealed in Egyptian tombs that was still pefectly edible.
Pure Australian honey
Compared to supermarket honey, honey that is produced in Australia is very different. There are strict rules regarding how beehives are managed to prevent disease. It is also far tastier, especially if it is a pure line of honey – honey that comes from only one place.
Mānuka honey is expensive because it's rare, regulated, and scientifically proven. When you buy UMF™ certified Mānuka honey, you're not just buying honey — you're investing in quality, authenticity, and wellness.
The Science Behind It: Why Australian Manuka is Stronger
Recent studies show that Australian Manuka Honey contains up to three times more Leptosperin than New Zealand Manuka. Leptosperin is a natural compound that confirms the authenticity and potency of Manuka honey.
Honey Can Last 3,000 or More Years… and Still Be Eaten! Explore the fascinating role of honey in ancient Egyptian culture and its use as both a sacred offering and a provision for the afterlife.
Smooth, sweet and perfectly balanced, generations of Aussies have grown up with Capilano Pure Honey. Made by Aussie bees and hand harvested by their beekeepers, our signature blend of eucalypt and ground flora honey is the taste you know and love.
Honey can have an almost indefinite shelf life, lasting decades or longer if it's stored properly. Over time, it may crystallize, and the quality might not be as good as when you first purchased it, but the honey will still be safe to consume in most cases.
For more than 70 years, Australia has been waking up with Capilano 100% pure Australian honey. We support over 600 Beekeeping families across Australia, delivering the tastiest honey deliciously drizzled on your hot crumpets, toast and yogurt.
Below, we list some of the best honeys the world has to offer.
The short answer is no. Honey does not spoil or go bad like most other foods. While honey jars may have an expiration date, this is primarily for inventory management and to indicate the freshest products. Honey's unique properties allow it to remain edible indefinitely if stored correctly.
Manuka Honey hails from New Zealand and is the healthiest honey in the world! It has more Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties than any other honey! Manuka Honey is packed with Nutrients and Enzymes, and works great on your skin for any kinds of cuts or scrapes!
Overall, the study showed that Australian honey varies a lot depending on climate, when flowers bloom, and how the honey is handled after harvest. For example, honey with naturally higher electrical conductivity also tends to have a higher pH, and honey with more HMF tends to be more acidic.
The "3 feet, 3 miles rule" is a beekeeping guideline for moving hives: move them less than 3 feet (so they find the new spot easily using landmarks and scent) or more than 3 miles (so they're forced to reorient to a completely new landscape). Moving them an intermediate distance (e.g., 50 feet to 2 miles) confuses forager bees, causing them to return to the old, empty location and get lost.
You can eat Manuka honey every day in small amounts. It's safe for most healthy adults, and it may give you benefits such as soothing a sore throat or supporting digestion. But it's still sugar, so too much can raise your blood sugar or add extra calories.
Do not refrigerate honey. Keeping your honey in the refrigerator preserves it but the cool temperatures will cause your honey to form a semi-solid mass, so this method of storage is not recommended.
High sugar content. Osmosis is induced as a result of the high sugar concentration in honey. Pure, undiluted honey therefore inhibits the growth of bacteria due to its sugar content, which exerts osmotic pressure on bacterial cells, causing water to flow out of the bacterial cells via osmosis.
Costco's Kirkland Signature Manuka Honey is genuine New Zealand-sourced honey with UMF certification (typically UMF 10+ or 15+). Prices run $20-$30 for 17.6oz—roughly 30% cheaper than specialty brands. Always check the UMF logo and batch number on the jar. Not safe for infants under 1 year due to botulism risk.
Kirkland's Wildflower Honey is sourced and packaged in Argentina, while the Organic Raw Honey comes from a company in Brazil. Both products are True Source Certified, meaning they've been audited and confirmed to be real honey produced and harvested by trusted beekeepers.
Product details. Coles M? nuka MGO 50+ Multifloral Honey is made by bees in New Zealand from the flowers of the m? nuka tree and contains a natural combination of nectars with at least 50mg/kg methylglyoxal as tested by an independent IANZ laboratory.
Proverbs 24:13-14
13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. 14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Added sugars, such as honey, cane sugar, brown sugar and high fructose corn syrup consumed in large amounts can lead to weight gain, blood sugar spikes and an increased risk of conditions like Type 2 diabetes. It's recommended to limit your added sugar intake to no more than 50 grams per day.
Honey may be the only food in the world with a literal forever shelf life. Archaeologists excavating ancient Egyptian tombs have uncovered jars of honey sealed for over 3,000 years—and astonishingly, still perfectly edible.