Value for money on True Manuka honey

BEFORE reaching for that jar of Manuka honey on your supermarket shelf, consider these five top tips to help you spot a cheap diluted or blended fake!

1. Manuka Honey can only come from New Zealand.

New Zealand is the only country in the world to have formalised the scientific definition of Manuka honey. This strict scientific standard is called the MPI Standard and is stamped onto the lid of every jar of Manuka Doctor honey. Australian Manuka honey exists, but it doesn’t meet the scientific standard set by New Zealand. Many countries or retailers do not accept it as genuine Manuka. 2. Manuka honey has higher levels of MGO (Methylglyoxal) than other honeys.

MGO is a naturally occurring compound in Manuka. The number on the front of the pot refers to the level of MGO. With higher grades costing more due to their rarity and purity.

3. MGO is tested in labs.

MGO should be tested using independent lab tests. You can see the test certificate for any Manuka Doctor honey simply by typing the pot’s batch code into our website. Not every Manuka brand allows you this level of trust and transparency.

4. Genuine Manuka honey is expensive for a reason…

Like all natural products, Manuka honey cannot be manufactured, only harvested from a crop.

This means there is a finite amount of Manuka produced annually for sale around the world. Therefore, the Manuka honey price is higher than ordinary table honey, which can be manufactured anywhere in the world. Genuine Manuka undergoes rigorous scientific tests to prove its authenticity. All Manuka Doctor honey is tested in this way using independent labs before being packed in New Zealand and exported to the UK.

5. Other Manuka honeys may not be all they seem.

The legal requirements for Manuka are sadly only the law in New Zealand. Anyone could export large drums of honey from New Zealand, dilute it and blend it, then re-pack it in a country where the testing and purity laws are different. Always check where the honey was harvested, where it was packed, and look for the testing certificates for that specific batch. A recent study found that only one out of seven samples of so-called manuka honey was found to have the required amount of the active ingredient.2