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The "Daily Hive" is our online company bulletin.  This bulletin is intended to keep you up-to-date on the activities at Oaknook Honey Products Ltd.  Its a great place to learn more about what we do, new products we feature, and the wide world of beekeeping and commercial honey production.   

Now Distributing Queens From Chile (See our advertisement in HIVELIGHTS) - Feature Story in the February (2008) Edition of HIVELIGHTS

After our visit with several commercial enterprises and with the government in Chile (December 2006), we have compiled the resources for importing Chilean queen bees into Canada.  As of July 2007, we have been successfully importing Chilean queens into Canada (2007, the first year permitted by CFIA for the importation of queen bees from Chile into Canada).  Working closely with the guidance of a Chilean queen breeding expert and several Chilean honey producers has allowed us to be the first to manage Canadian honey colonies with queens from Chile in our commercial operations.  We have considered the Chilean queens to be a success during the 2007 honey season and are gaining valuable experience as they over-winter right here in Manitoba. 

Upcoming Summer Employment Opportunities (8 positions open for May through to September) 

Come and be apart of our team.  We are currently hiring for the up coming honey season.  Positions available include honey harvesting and processing operations.  We encourage all who is interested to give us a call or email us.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about the beekeeping industry in Manitoba.  Please check out our Employment link for more details.  

Oaknook's Honey Slice: Re-Inventing Packaged Honey  The Honey Slice is natural pure creamed honey packaged in a bar form.  Just like a stick of butter, the Honey Slice can be placed at the center of your dinning table.  The Honey Slice is ideal for baking.  One Honey Slice bar is equivalent to 1 cup.  This makes it easy to measure and incorporate honey into all your favorite recipes.  Please visit our Products link for more details.

Oaknook's Flavored Honey Now Available  We are proud to announce that our natural pure creamed honey products are now available in strawberry and cinnamon flavoring.  Delicious flavored spreads for all of your baking favorites!  Check out www.buzzle.com for some interesting health tips on honey and cinnamon.  Please visit our Products link for more details.

Sea Buck What?  Sea Buckthorn, A Bright Berry With An Even Brighter Future! Sea buckthorn, a hardy, berry-producing plant, has been introduced as an interesting and exciting nutraceutical crop for Canada.  Native to China, Russia, and many parts of northern Europe, sea buckthorn has been widely grown for its bright, orange berries.  The berries, often described as having a strong sour taste, have been used traditionally in a variety of food products such as juices, wines, candy, and ice-cream.  In addition, because of the attractive berries sea buckthorn has been grown and appreciated as a fascinating ornamental shrub.  However, this shrub is much more than just good looks!  Come and visit us and see these amazing berries!

Sea buckthorn has been increasing in popularity as a result of its nutritional effects being realized in western countries.  Most importantly, sea buckthorn has been given considerable attention because of its enormous nutritional value and ideal suitability as a functional food and nutraceutical.  A “functional food” is defined as a food consumed as part of a usual diet, which demonstrates physiological benefits and/or reduces the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.  In comparison, a “nutraceutical” is a product isolated from foods that is sold in medicinal forms, not usually associated with conventional foods, also providing protection against chronic disease.  Bioactive components such as vitamins, fats, and other phytochemicals are the ingredients in functional foods and nutraceuticals which are responsible for this reduction and protection against chronic disease.  Sea buckthorn, because of its numerous bioactive components, is well suited as a functional food and has been used in nutraceuticals around the world.

Sea buckthorn has been deemed one of the most nutritious and vitamin rich shrubs in the plant kingdom and has been used throughout history in Tibetan and Mongolian medicines.  Sea buckthorn or “hippophae” is derived from the Greek word “hippos” meaning horse and “phaos” meaning shinning.  Ancient Greek folklore tells a story of feeding sea buckthorn berries to horses to bring out the shinny luster in their coats.  Today, the berries are being sought for their physiological effects.  They contain many bioactive components including high levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, and other antioxidant compounds.  In addition to the berries, the leaves and bark of sea buckthorn are also becoming recognized as useful, harvestable components.  The leaves and bark contain many nutritional components making them worthy in nutraceutical products.  Although the berries, leaves, and bark contain numerous nutritional components, many of the health benefits have been attributed to the valuable oils found inside the berries. 

Sea buckthorn is a unique plant, in that the berries contain two different oils which are located in the pulp (or fruit flesh) and seeds of the berries.  The oils, rich in essential fatty acids, are sought for their anti-aging and pharmacological functions such as skin protection and repair, cardiovascular disease prevention, immune system restoration, and anticancer applications, as well as for the promotion of general good health.  Palmitoleic acid, extremely rare in the plant world is found in sea buckthorn pulp oil and has been used to support the formation of cell tissue and wound healing.  The seed oil, described as being highly unsaturated, containing linoleic (Omega-6) and linolenic acid (Omega-3), has also been used in skin ointments.  The seed and pulp oils are presently being incorporated and manufactured into a variety of functional foods and nutraceuticals (organic juices, power/energy bars, herbal teas, and oil and vitamin tablets) as well as in countless natural cosmetic products (skin creams, sunscreen lotions, lip balms, bath beads, and shampoos).  However, these highly valuable oils are difficult to obtain.  The problem is how to efficiently extract the oils from the berries without compromising their valuable nutritional quality.

Oil extraction is not a new concept, however research on the evaluation of oil extraction technologies for high value, low oil content crops like sea buckthorn, remains limited.  A technology known as supercritical fluid extraction using high-pressure carbon dioxide to dissolve and recover sea buckthorn oils seems particularly promising since high oil yields can be obtained without a loss in nutritional quality.  In addition, since no toxic chemicals are used, the extracted oils are fit for consumption.                

The development of the Canadian sea buckthorn industry has largely been attributed to current practices in Europe and Asia.  The growing demand for health products and cosmetics has lead to the commercialization and therefore, extensive research on sea buckthorn here in Canada.  

The interest in sea buckthorn is continually growing.  Numerous on-line shopping websites are being introduced at an alarming rate, promoting an array of sea buckthorn products.  As the interest of a healthier lifestyle becomes stronger, the future for functional foods and nutraceuticals, like sea buckthorn, will become brighter.  

For more information or questions, please contact us!