Dee A. Catert, Shona E. Blair and Julie Irish

Implication for relevant stakeholders

The Australian Honey Industry

This project showed that there are numerous Australian honeys that exhibit therapeutically beneficial levels of antibacterial activity.  With appropriate marketing and public awareness campaigns, supported by reliable assay procedures, Australian honey has the potential for adoption as internationally-recognised, potent, non-toxic, topical micro-agent.  There is a potentially huge market for such products.

Communities

This study has shown that honey has a potent activity against numerous problematic pathogens.  Honey shows excellent potential as a prophylactic agent, particularly in hospital settings where patients are often immune-compromised and exposed to multi-drug pathogens.

Recommendations for Beekeeping Industry

Develop and license a unified means of assaying and labeling medical-grade honeys, and this should be used by anyone marketing Australian honey as an antibacterial product.