Malaysia’s Trigona honey, commonly produced by stingless bees, could be taking a bigger step onto the international stage as government agencies, researchers, industry players and retailers come together to strengthen its scientific and commercial ecosystem.
JYY Group hosted the 2026 Malaysian Trigona Honey Scientific Symposium on Sept 30, bringing together representatives from government, academia, research institutions, industry and retail.
The event was officiated by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Chan Foong Hin and attended by Department of Agriculture Malaysia Director-General Dato’ Nor Sam, as well as researchers from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
The initiative aims to strengthen Malaysian Trigona honey through scientific research, quality standards, sustainable beekeeping, product innovation and market development with the longer-term ambition of gaining greater international recognition.
Can Trigona Honey Become Malaysia’s Answer to Manuka?
New Zealand has become closely associated with Manuka honey, and JYY Group hopes Malaysia could eventually establish a similar global identity around its own Trigona honey.
According to the company, the goal goes beyond simply developing and selling more honey products. It hopes to build an ecosystem involving government agencies, researchers, beekeepers, businesses and retail partners.
Its longer-term ambition is for Malaysian Trigona honey to evolve into an international calling card for the country’s natural resources, biodiversity and wellness heritage.
JYY Group Founder and Group CEO Alann Tan said JYNNS Trigona Honey is sourced from a single origin in Sarawak, while its bee farm is certified under the Department of Agriculture’s Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices.
Universities Join Research Efforts
Science is a major part of that ambition.
Experts from UMT, USM and UTAR discussed areas ranging from the quality and standards of Malaysian Trigona honey to neuroscience research and scientific validation.
The symposium also saw JYY Group, UTAR, UMT and USM sign a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) to strengthen cooperation in Trigona honey research, industry applications and sustainable beekeeping development.
The UTAR research team also presented peer-reviewed research involving JYNNS Trigona Honey, including findings related to its low Glycaemic Index characteristics and antibacterial research involving Trigona honey and related products.
Research has also expanded beyond honey to Trigona propolis.
According to them, laboratory testing of JYNNS Trigona Propolis Mouth Spray found antibacterial activity against three tested bacteria that is E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Streptococcus pyogenes. The team also confirmed testing in which Trigona propolis demonstrated up to 99.9999% antibacterial activity.
These are reported research findings relating to the tested products and conditions, rather than a general claim that consuming Trigona honey prevents or treats bacterial infections.
Watsons to Carry Full JYNNS Trigona Range
The initiative is also moving from the laboratory into retail.
JYY Group and Watsons Malaysia signed a strategic retail partnership that will make Watsons the first retail partner to carry the complete JYNNS Trigona range.
This includes JYNNS Trigona Honey, Trigona Propolis and Trigona Propolis Mouth Spray, with the partnership intended to make the products accessible through a wider retail network.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan said bringing Malaysian natural resources such as Trigona honey to international markets would require strong scientific research, quality standards, responsible production and industry participation.
He added that the government would continue supporting research, innovation, commercialisation and market development for Malaysian agricultural products.
For JYY Group, the bigger vision is clear: one day, when consumers around the world think about premium honey, the company hopes Malaysian Trigona honey will be among the names that naturally come to mind.
To learn more about JYY Group and JYNNS, please visit the official website, follow Facebook, Instagram and RedNote.
