What does umf

For thousands of years honey has been recognised as having beneficial health-supporting qualities due largely to an enzyme activity. It has also been recognised that certain honeys from specific plants are more effective than others, and the honey that comes from some strains of the New Zealand Manuka bush Leptospermum Scoparium is one of these.

In research at the Honey Research Unit at New Zealand's University of Waikato discovered that some strains of manuka honey have an extraordinary, naturally present, very stable property not found in any other variety of honey. This special property is over and above the usual properties of honey. It comes from the nectar of the manuka flower and is quite distinct from the enzyme activity that is common to most honeys.

Until recently consumers had no way of knowing the level of quality or authenticity of the Manuka Honey they were buying. Depending on the season and source, honeys can vary in grade and strength. So it has been important to establish a trusted quality standard. To determine if the special property is present in manuka honey each batch must be tested after packing in specifically approved laboratories using stringent criteria laid down by the UMF Honey Association.

The UMF Honey Association testing utilises a range of internationally recognised biological and chemical methods in approved laboratories both in New Zealand and internationally. As part of the testing process every batch of honey must also go through a series of additional checks and supporting programmes to ensure the ultimate in authenticity, quality and safety. All UMF licence holders are independently audited to meet stringent standards in terms of production, manufacturing, sampling and handling.

The trademark ensures purity, quality and that the honey contains unique natural properties. All honeys have antibacterial properties due to a natural mild hydrogen peroxide antiseptic released when an enzyme produced by bees as a preservative in the honey comes in contact with moisture in the body.

Manuka honey has something else that causes its antibacterial effect. During his research into the antibacterial activities of honey, Dr. This unique property is what makes manuka honey both more potent and more stable.

It comes specifically from methylglyoxal MGO found in leptosperin, a naturally occurring chemical found only in the nectar of Manuka plants. The very strongest grades are highly antibacterial and able to fight off dangerous infections. The Medical grade Manuka honey used in hospitals is further purified to remove any trace of contaminants.

However, Medical grade Manuka is not eaten. Instead but applied topically. There isn't conclusive evidence that eating manuka honey this potent would be any better for you than lower grade honey. That's great news for the budget! It is important to remember that research into Manuka Honey is ongoing. The specific health benefits of Manuka Honey is still the subject of debate.

Research into Manuka honey has revealed many unique properties, and scientists are only just starting to understand the healing benefits of this extraordinary natural product. This has led to increasing demand and high prices for quality honey. That's why the NZ government developed strict guidelines for labelling.

Getting to know your honey producers is the best way to ensure that your Manuka honey is genuinely what it says it is. This is particularly important if you are buying Manuka honey in New Zealand. Unfortunately, the strict labelling rules do not apply to Manuka Honey sold in New Zealand. Always choose ethical and sustainable beekeepers who hold themselves to the same high standards, no matter where their honey is sold.

It also pays to do your homework and find producers you can really trust. HMF concentrations increase under excessive heat and prolonged storage times. HMF is particularly relevant to Manuka honey as heat can be used to accelerate the conversion of DHA to MGO fraudulently, thus altering the chemical profile to make Manuka honey appear stronger and therefore more valuable.

In order to protect customers, to secure a UMF rating, the HMF content after processing should not be more than 40 milligrams per kilogram. Our honey is tested five times between the beekeeper and the pot you buy from our website. And because Honey New Zealand also owns much of the land where our bees roam, we have a transparent supply chain where we can trace every single pot back to the exact group of bee-hives where the honey was harvested.

We call this our Hive to Home promise. UMF is certainly the most comprehensive testing standard in the world for Manuka honey. Some brands choose to only display the MGO level on their pack, which is valid as that is the main active compound in manuka. But with the UMF system, you can guarantee that your honey has been checked for additional markers.

A UMF 5 product is best suited for everyday wellness, cooking and flavouring as it naturally has lower anti-microbial properties. If you require higher levels of anti-microbial effect, then you should buy a higher grading like a UMF 10, 15 or Introduced in , the standard means that brands who produce Manuka must test for 4 naturally occurring markers and a DNA test. This proves that the honey is from New Zealand itself and not another country.

Which means that in total our honey is tested for the presence of 9 separate compounds.