21 Feb 2012

Company plans manuka honey product in capsule form

2:04 pm on 21 February 2012

A specialist honey company is using imported technology which it says will significantly increase the therapeutic and financial value of manuka honey.

Waikato-based company Manuka Health will be producing encapsulated manuka honey products using a Japanese process that combines the bioactive properties in the honey with cyclodextrins - beneficial compounds derived from plants.

Manuka Health chief executive Kerry Paul says it allows the honey to be processed in forms that boost its antibacterial potency many times more than the raw honey.

Mr Paul says Manuka Health is planning to consolidate all its operations on one site in Te Awamutu giving it the capacity to develop new bioactive products.