New Zealand Medicinal Honey Producer on Use of Cyclodextrins to Deliver Methylglyoxal

Client Q&A: Manuka Health
Industrial Research, 3/19/2012

Kerry Paul is the CEO of Manuka Health New Zealand. With a strong focus on adding value to New Zealand natural health products, Manuka Health has been working with IRL on the technology transfer of a new innovation, CycloPower™. We asked Kerry to tell us more.

Describe your business

Manuka Health harnesses and markets the scientifically-proven health benefits of New Zealand’s unique bioactives sourced from New Zealand flora.

We are global leaders in the production of therapeutic-grade manuka honey products, which sell in 45 countries around the world. Our company is based in Te Awamutu and employs 45 staff over three business units.

Tell us about the development of CycloPower

In collaboration with scientific colleagues from Tokyo University, we have patented a way to deliver dietary methylglyoxal, the unique naturally-occurring antibacterial ingredient in manuka honey, in powder form to our next-generation products.

CycloPower products will use cyclodextrins – compounds made up of sugar molecules bound together – to deliver the methylglyoxal in foods, drinks, dietary supplements and other nutritional and medicinal products.

This is a breakthrough for natural healthcare and is what turbo is for vehicles – a way to get much greater performance without increasing the dose.

For example, genuine MGO™ Manuka Honey is renowned for its ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria. When formulated with CycloPower it will kill some of the most virulent bacteria the world has ever seen.


When are the first CycloPower products due to be released?

The first product has already been manufactured in Japan and we aim to have products available in New Zealand within the next few months.

IRL is assisting us with the technology transfer from Japan in order to establish these processes on a commercial scale in New Zealand…