Not your typical honey, Arnia Kelulut (Arnia) honey is a nutraceutical product distributed and marketed by Paradigm Industry Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pharmaniaga Berhad (Pharmaniaga). Made from 100% natural Kelulut honey, Arnia undoubtedly has its own benefits qualities that bring the goodness of nature from farm to table.
According to “Honey – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics” research by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., it forecasted on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post-COVID-19 that the global market for honey is estimated at US$8.6 bil (RM35 bil) in the year 2020, and it is projected to reach a revised size of US$10.9 bil by 2026 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.9% over the analysis period. In Malaysia, Kelulut honey has achieved RM33.6 million currently and it has massive potential to reach as high as RM67.2 million, according to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Business, Economics and Social Development Faculty Lecturer Prof Dr Nur Azura Sanusi.
Rich in antioxidants and glycaemic index trehalose (a combination of fructose and glucose), Kelulut honey is recognised by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) as a superfood that helps to improve immunity due to its high antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties to fight sore throats, coughs, and other infections.
Pharmaniaga Head of Business Development En Shahanaz Sulaiman said the low GI Trehalulose also helps control blood sugar spikes for persons who have concerns about sugar intake besides improving energy level, antiageing, and wound healing amongst its beneficial properties.
“These benefits are evidence-based by Malaysian and International researchers. Besides, our consumer research has revealed that the benefits are passed on from one generation to the next.”
Unlike typical honey, he said Arnia’s moisture content is less than 22%, as prescribed by the Malaysian Standard MS2683 for Specifications of Kelulut honey. “This is desirable as a low moisture content helps preserve the freshness and quality of the honey. It also can be stored in ambient conditions.”
As a leading pharmaceutical company in Malaysia, Pharmaniaga places high importance on the quality and safety of all its products through stringent quality control and assurance process.
“The utmost priority is the quality of the product as most consumers have a major concern on the purity of honey they purchased and consumed. Hence, we are stringent in terms of quality control procedures. We also invest in digital and marketing advertising to emphasise Arnia’s quality with a tagline of #madutanparagu,” he said.
In a nutshell, Kelulut honey is produced by a rare stingless bee species in tropical regions across the globe, including one located in Bukit Kor, Terengganu, where Arnia’s site was carefully selected to ensure its source is pristine and pure.
In April this year, Pharmaniaga has established an exclusive collaboration with UMT to commercialise and produce stingless bee honey through a research and development project.
“We are committed to continuously improving Arnia’s quality and to stay ahead in the market in order to provide our consumers with healthier Kelulut honey products. In this respect, we are now collaborating with academia in UMT. Meanwhile, we are also looking forward to explore more opportunities to collaborate with other universities,” he said.
