Biosecurity Vanuatu has recently revised and completed a health certification agreement with New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries (NZ MPI) for the importation of bee products including honey from New Zealand. Import conditions for commercial honey from Australia have been in place since 2014, with relevant health certification provided by Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
While honey is recognized as having certain medicinal (anti-bacterial) properties, due to enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide, low pH and/or high osmolarity, American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) are highly significant bacterial diseases of honey bees, can also be spread via contaminated honeys. Additionally, chalkbrood, a fungal disease of honeybees, can also be spread by contaminated honeys. Recent surveillance of honeybee colonies in Vanuatu, including surveillance conducted by international bee disease specialists from New Zealand (Asure Quality, 2012), have confirmed freedom from AFB and EFB in Vanuatu.
Below is the import conditions for bee products from New Zealand.
Import conditions for Bee Products from New Zealand