Update 09 September 2026: When we first published this article on July 17, 2026, we incorrectly reported that Pams Mānuka Honey Multifloral, Arataki Honey Clover Blend and Arataki Honey Squeeze Me had no detectable glyphosate residues. In fact, trace amounts were detected and quantified in all three. Glyphosate was therefore detected in all five samples. We have corrected the article and results below to reflect the laboratory data accurately.
Our fifth round of honey testing found measurable glyphosate residues in all five products tested, although all were well below New Zealand’s legal residue limit for glyphosate in honey.
The five samples were tested for glyphosate, AMPA and glufosinate.
Glyphosate was detected and quantified in all five samples, at levels ranging from 0.0031 mg/kg (3.1 ppb) to 0.0148 mg/kg (14.8 ppb). AMPA, the main breakdown product of glyphosate, was not detected in any of the samples. Glufosinate was also not detected.
The Latest Results
| Honey Sample | Glyphosate Level |
|---|---|
| Airborne Mānuka Honey MGO 50+ Batch 261721 | 0.0136 mg/kg (13.6 ppb) |
| Arataki Honey Multi-Flora with Mānuka Batch R7814 | 0.0148 mg/kg (14.8 ppb) |
| Pams Mānuka Honey Multifloral Batch PMMF500600003 | 0.0031 mg/kg (3.1 ppb) |
| Arataki Honey Clover Blend Batch R7826 | 0.0052 mg/kg (5.2 ppb) |
| Arataki Honey Squeeze Me Batch R7840 | 0.0092 mg/kg (9.2 ppb) |
Testing was performed by Hill Laboratories using LC-MS/MS analysis with a glyphosate reporting limit of 0.002 mg/kg.
All Five Samples Contained Detectable Glyphosate
All five results were below New Zealand’s current Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for glyphosate in honey of 0.1 mg/kg (100 ppb).
Maximum residue limits are the legal limits permitted for pesticide residues in food. They do not indicate that a food is free of pesticide residues; rather, they define the maximum level permitted under New Zealand’s food standards.
That means all five samples complied with New Zealand’s legal residue limit. But all five contained measurable glyphosate residues.
This distinction matters.
A product can comply with New Zealand’s legal residue limit and still contain a measurable amount of glyphosate.
Our testing is not simply about whether products breach the law. It is about finding out what is actually present in foods New Zealanders buy and eat.
No AMPA or Glufosinate Detected
All five samples were also tested for AMPA and glufosinate.
AMPA is the principal breakdown product of glyphosate. Glufosinate is a different herbicide used in some agricultural and horticultural settings.
Neither compound was detected above the laboratory’s reporting limit in any of the five samples.
How Do These Results Compare?
This is the fifth round of independent honey testing commissioned by No More Glyphosate NZ. With these five samples, we have now tested 31 honey products across five rounds.
Glyphosate has been detected and quantified in 23 of those 31 samples, although concentrations have varied considerably. Of the eight remaining samples, four were reported at <0.002 mg/kg, while four samples from our first round of testing were reported at the less sensitive <0.010 mg/kg level.
Several brands have now appeared in more than one round of testing.
Airborne has had two different honey products tested, with glyphosate detected in both: 0.025 mg/kg in Airborne Clover Honey Creamed and 0.0136 mg/kg in Airborne Mānuka Honey MGO 50+.
Pams has also had two different honey products tested, with glyphosate detected in both: 0.0199 mg/kg in Pams Creamed Clover Honey and 0.0031 mg/kg in Pams Mānuka Honey Multifloral.
Four Arataki honey samples have now been tested. The original Arataki Clover Honey returned <0.010 mg/kg in our first round of testing. All three Arataki products tested in this latest round contained measurable glyphosate, ranging from 0.0052 to 0.0148 mg/kg.
These are different honey products and different production batches, so they should not be interpreted as direct comparisons. But they demonstrate why repeat testing over time is valuable. A single laboratory result provides a snapshot. Multiple rounds of testing begin to build a much clearer picture.
One final point is worth making. Our testing looks specifically for glyphosate, its primary breakdown product (AMPA), and glufosinate. It does not test for other herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, heavy metals, antibiotics, PFAS, microplastics, or any of the many other substances that may be present in honey. These results should not be interpreted as meaning a product is free from all contaminants.
Why NMGNZ Tests Food
No More Glyphosate NZ commissions independent testing because consumers are often left in the dark about pesticide residues in everyday foods.
Glyphosate is widely used in New Zealand agriculture, horticulture, public spaces and land management. Yet consumers usually have no practical way of knowing whether residues are present in the foods they buy.
Testing does not answer every question. It cannot tell us exactly where a residue came from, when exposure occurred, or whether bees encountered glyphosate through nearby land use, agricultural spraying, roadside spraying, pasture management or other environmental routes.
But testing can answer one basic and important question:
Is glyphosate present in this food sample?
In all five of these honey samples, the answer was yes.
A Note About Beekeepers
Our honey testing is not an audit of beekeeping practice, nor do we regard a glyphosate detection as evidence that a beekeeper has done anything wrong.
Bees forage across a wide area beyond the beekeeper’s control. Where glyphosate residues are found in honey, testing the finished product alone cannot tell us where that glyphosate came from or how the bees encountered it.
That distinction matters.
New Zealand honey trades heavily on its reputation for purity and provenance. Beekeepers therefore have an interest in understanding what residues may be entering honey from the wider environment, just as consumers do.
We see independent residue testing as potentially useful to beekeepers, not an attack on them. It can help build a clearer picture of what is occurring across the landscape and, with enough data, help identify questions that warrant further investigation.
The Bigger Question
After five rounds of independent honey testing, these results raise a familiar question.
If glyphosate can be detected in honey—a food produced by bees foraging across the wider landscape—what does that tell us about the chemical footprint surrounding our food system?
These results do not tell us that all honey contains glyphosate, nor did any of the five samples exceed the legal residue limit. They tell us something more specific: glyphosate was measurable in every honey sample in this round, but at substantially different concentrations.
For consumers who want fewer pesticide residues in their food, those differences matter. And for producers, results from our wider testing that fall below the laboratory reporting limit demonstrate that such results are achievable.
That leaves a simple question:
If some honey can test below the laboratory reporting limit, what would it take to make that the norm?
Previous Honey Testing
This is the fifth round of independent honey testing commissioned by No More Glyphosate NZ.
Each round adds to a growing body of independently obtained laboratory data, helping build a clearer picture of glyphosate residues in honey sold in New Zealand. While individual results can vary between products, batches, seasons and floral sources, repeat testing provides valuable context over time.
You can read our previous honey testing reports here:
- Glyphosate in New Zealand Honey? First Test Results Revealed (June 2025) — Our first independent honey testing project examined seven popular New Zealand honey products, with glyphosate quantified in three samples and four reported at <0.010 mg/kg. Read the article
- Glyphosate in New Zealand Honey — Test Results: Batch 2 (August 2025) — Our second round expanded the testing programme with a further selection of mānuka and blended honeys available to New Zealand consumers. Read the article
- Glyphosate in New Zealand Honey — Test Results: Batch 3 (August 2025) — Seven more retail honey products were independently tested, including the first Wrights Mānuka sample, which recorded the highest glyphosate level seen at that time. Read the article
- Glyphosate in Honey Test Results — Batch 4 (September 2025) — Our fourth round included the highest glyphosate result we have recorded in honey to date, with one sample exceeding New Zealand’s current Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). Read the article
As our independent testing programme continues, we intend to revisit brands, test new products, and monitor changes over time. Our goal is simple: to provide consumers with transparent, independent information about the foods they buy and eat.
Related Reading
Here are further articles from No More Glyphosate NZ that explore why glyphosate shows up in honey, what it means for “healthy” honey claims, and how bees are affected:
How Does Glyphosate End Up in Honey Without Killing the Bees?
Explains how bee foraging, crop spraying, and contaminated landscapes lead to glyphosate showing up in honey.
Even the Beekeepers Know: Glyphosate Is Everywhere
Looks at the marketing of honey as pure and health-giving, and the contradiction posed by glyphosate residues.
Where Have All the Pollinators Gone? Glyphosate’s Impact on Bees
Summarises the research on how glyphosate affects bee navigation, gut health, and colony strength.
Testing Costs & Transparency
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Airborne Mānuka Honey MGO 50+ | $13.49 |
| Arataki Multi-Flora with Mānuka | $10.39 |
| Pams Mānuka Multifloral Honey | $7.59 |
| Arataki Clover Blend | $10.39 |
| Arataki Squeeze Me | $12.39 |
| Hill Laboratories testing | $521.64 |
| Courier costs | $13.30 |
| Total Cost | $589.19 |
One advantage of honey testing is cost. Glyphosate analysis of honey typically costs around $104 per sample, compared with approximately $400 per sample for many more complex food products. When we first launched our independent testing programme, a number of supporters chose to make regular monthly donations specifically to fund honey testing. Combined with the lower cost of analysis, their ongoing support has enabled us to complete five rounds of testing and build one of New Zealand’s largest independent datasets on glyphosate residues in retail honey.
Image Source & Attribution
The feature image on this page was created by No More Glyphosate NZ using licensed stock photography and additional graphic elements, which were combined and edited in Canva for publication.
