Manuka honey producers are waging war on two fronts against Germans challenging their industry.

The UMF Honey Association has engaged law firm Buddle Finlay to fight one German who has registered the word "Manuka" as a trademark covering all of Europe.

At the same time, the association is battling another German seeking to patent a bee food which its inventor says will give the honey produced by the bees the exact chemical profile of manuka honey.

John Rawcliffe, general manager of the association, said both developments posed a threat to the manuka honey industry…