Quintana Roo Secures Denomination of Origin for Melipona Honey

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — The Mexican government has granted denomination of origin status to Melipona honey from the Maya zone of Quintana Roo, giving legal protection to the traditional product produced by stingless bees in the region.

The declaration, published in the Federal Official Gazette, protects the “Miel de Abeja Melipona del Corredor de la Zona Maya de Quintana Roo” as a geographical indication. The process began in December 2024 when the state government, through the Ministry of Government led by María Cristina Torres Gómez, submitted the application to the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI).

The designation covers honey produced by stingless bees, primarily Melipona beecheii — known locally as xunán kab or “lady bee” — that are traditionally managed in Maya communities in south-central Quintana Roo. The honey is described as a product of high biological and cultural complexity, derived from nectar and plant secretions of regional flora and transformed by bees through enzymatic processes within their nests.

The protected geographical area includes the municipalities of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, José María Morelos, and Tulum. The boundaries are defined as follows:

• Felipe Carrillo Puerto: borders Yucatán state and Tulum to the north, Tulum and the Caribbean Sea to the east, the Caribbean Sea and Othón P. Blanco to the south, and Othón P. Blanco and José María Morelos to the west.
• José María Morelos: located in the central-western part of the state, bordering Felipe Carrillo Puerto to the east, Bacalar to the south, Calakmul and Hopelchén (Campeche) to the west, and Tekax, Tzucacab, and Peto (Yucatán) to the northwest.
• Tulum: part of the Riviera Maya, bordering the Caribbean Sea to the east and the interstate zone with Yucatán to the west.

With this declaration, Quintana Roo obtains territoriality rights for the production and commercialization of Melipona honey. The federal protection grants exclusive legal use of the ® or MR symbols, preventing unauthorized copying or imitation. The designation turns the Maya honey into a valuable intangible asset, facilitating its marketing, licensing, franchising, and protection against unfair competition nationwide.

The IMPI regulations require the state government to renew the protection every ten years to keep the denomination valid.