Mānuka honey gas mask Britain’s secret weapon against chemical attacks

Mānuka honey could be used in masks or personal protective equipment for troops. Photo / 123RF

Mānuka honey has been hailed as the golden superfood said to ward off colds, heal wounds and banish sore throats.

Now, scientists at Porton Down plan to harness its antibacterial qualities by creating a mānuka gas mask that could be crucial in defending against airborne biological and chemical attacks.

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has lodged a patent application that reveals the honey could be used as a “glue” to “capture and neutralise” poisonous toxins, chemicals and viruses, such as Covid-19.

Mānuka honey is produced when bees forage on the mānuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), a plant that produces a compound with potent antibacterial properties.

The 22-page application, seen by The Telegraph, shows that the honey could be deployed as one of several “sticky” layers applied to filters fitted to masks or personal protective equipment.

The document, drawn up by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the science arm of the Ministry of Defence, explains that “maze-like zigzags” with “undulating ridges” fitted inside the gas mask filter can be coated with “adhesive layers” of honey.

The antibacterial properties would then help “neutralise the threat”.

The patent, which is at the concept stage and has yet to be tested, adds: “Preferably, ‘at least one layer’ comprises manuka honey. Manuka honey is a sticky material with antimicrobial properties, and is particularly suited to being applied as an adhesive layer in the filter of the invention.”

Explaining the zigzag filter, the patent adds that “on the surface of each curved element facing the direction of the dynamic airflow is an adhesive layer consisting of an adhesive strip coated with manuka honey”.

In another possible design, the honey is coated on to “an absorptive tissue”.

NZ honey sales to the EU have risen dramatically in recent years. Photo / Martin Sykes

The document, which has been lodged with the Intellectual Property Office, says: “Passing the dynamic airflow over the absorptive tissue ensures particulate matter in the dynamic airflow is captured by the manuka honey, thus filtering the dynamic airflow.”

Celebrities such as actress Scarlett Johansson, singer Katherine Jenkins and tennis player Novak Djokovic have extolled the virtues of the honey as a superfood.

Methylglyoxal, or MGO, is the ingredient in mānuka honey that has been proven to have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. The higher the concentration of MGO, the stronger the antibacterial effect.

In UK, Selfridges sells a Rare Harvest New Zealand Mānuka with the highest rating of 1700 MGO for £1349 (NZ$2710) for a 230g jar.

Despite the honey being expensive for UK consumers, the MoD application says it is a relatively cheap product compared with manmade chemicals used to combat airborne threats.

The patent document says it could prove particularly useful for poorer countries struggling to cope with a viral pandemic.

Numerous health benefits have been attributed to mānuka honey. In 2014, Swiss researchers said if it was consumed in moderation it could help improve oral health because it can target bacteria in plaque which can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease.