Federated Farmers is defending the nutritional benefits of honey, after it was called into question by researchers at the University of Otago.
The team included honey in its list of foods people think are healthy, but are not, such as muesli bars and fruit juice.
But John Hartnell, who represents beekeepers for Federated Farmers, says honey is so complex, people are still learning about it.
He says it is known to have antioxidants, enzymes, minerals and vitamins.
Mr Hartnell says honey is dense and sweet, meaning people can get an equivalent level of sweetness with less quantity than with sugar.
He says the problem is not what people are eating, but how much they are eating.
