The UMF™ trademark was established in 1998 by the UMFHA (evolving from the Active Manuka Honey Association).

The purpose? To protect the term ‘manuka honey’, have a greater presence in international markets, and ensure credibility and legitimacy around the world.

Manuka honey is scarce, but widely sought after. Therefore, stringent testing is necessary to prevent counterfeit products from being sold on the market.

The UMFHA tests manuka honey for a presence of chemical markers: Methylglyoxal (MGO), Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), Leptosperin, Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and DNA from manuka pollen, all of which must be present in order to label it as monofloral manuka honey.

If a honey jar has a UMF™ label, it’s a promise of purity and integrity. You can be sure that you’re getting the real deal.

We believe it’s very important to protect the term manuka, and the industry that produces genuine New Zealand manuka honey.

Some manuka honey producers choose not to join the UMFHA and display the UMF trademark, and focus instead on the MGO value: the unique, naturally occurring compound within manuka honey that has proven health benefits.

However, this is just one of 5 components that help us to verify genuine manuka honey, and we believe that MGO alone doesn’t indicate the purity of the manuka honey.

That’s what UMF™ is for.

UMF™ is endorsed by the Ministry for Primary Industries, and backed by the New Zealand government. Today, UMF™ represents the highest standard of honey testing worldwide, hence, it’s become a globally respected trademark.

We are a member of the UMFHA and are qualified and accredited to display the UMF™ trademark on our manuka honey because we believe in the necessity - and strength - of this certification.

All of our manuka honey that carries the logo is certified to be monofloral, unadulterated and proven to be from New Zealand.

Our manuka honey contains sufficient amounts of Methylglyoxal (MGO), Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), Leptosperin, Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and DNA from manuka pollen to be granted their respective UMF™ gradings.

Our honey has met the highest standards of honey testing globally. We share our UMF™ certificates for every batch of honey, and you can use the info on our labels to search for them on our website (like this).

Our license number is 2060.

Analytica Laboratories is the market leader in New Zealand honey testing.

Initially focused on research and development, the company shifted between 2013 and 2015 in response to urgent needs in the dairy and honey industries.

They built a range of innovative testing services and then proceeded to carry out these tests and became the main laboratory for doing so.

With a strong background in research, a large team, and a testing network all over New Zealand, Analytica Laboratories has earned an impressive reputation.

They hold full ISO 17025 accreditation under IANZ for both the MPI Manuka Chemical Marker and DNA marker tests. They provide standard testing to meet international requirements, and are actively involved in research and development of testing technologies.

They’ve also become a leader in the MPI 5 attributes test for manuka honey.

The batch of honey has been tested by Analytica Laboratories to ensure that it is authentic, high quality, and safe manuka honey.

The batch of manuka honey has passed either the MPI 3 in 1 or MPI 5 in 1 test, and the general tests for colour and moisture, Tutin, AFB, Leptosperin, and C4 sugars.

We are supporting strict testing standards which reduces the risk of adulterated and inferior quality honey finding its way to the market.

Hill Laboratories have an extensive range of honey tests.

They use the latest technology, methods, and state-of-the-art instruments.

After starting out small in 1984, they’ve grown to test three areas: Agriculture, Environmental, and Food. They’re now New Zealand’s largest independent laboratory.

They’ve been tried, tested, and trusted for over 30 years.

Hills is also a family business that puts people first, and we share similar values.

The batch of honey has been tested by Hill Laboratories.

The batch of manuka honey has passed either the MPI 3 in 1 or MPI 5 in 1 test and the standard honey tests.

We are supporting strict testing standards which reduce the risk of adulterated and inferior-quality honey finding its way to the market.

The Non-GMO Project is a worldwide mission-driven nonprofit organization that educates and empowers consumers to make informed decisions about their food.

They aim to decrease the amount of genetically modified organisms found in foods, and spread awareness about the impacts of genetically-modified food.

We’ve chosen to get certified and display this information to show that our honey is not in any way involved with GMO, because our hives in New Zealand are in areas where there aren’t any genetically-modified crops being cultivated.

They provide rigorous product verification and all non-GMO verified products are measured against strict requirements.

As a result of this, the butterfly logo has become a symbol of authenticity and purity. It’s a trusted label for shoppers looking to avoid GMO in products.

The Non-GMO Project believes that everybody has a right to know what’s in their food and have access to non-GMO options. With radical transparency being one of our core values, we agree!

Our honey has completed a comprehensive third party verification, showing its compliance with the Non-GMO Project Standard.

The areas in which our beehives stand are free from high-risk agricultural activity (we have proven this for the surrounding four-mile radius).

Individual ingredients and precursors of our products are tested at the most efficient and meaningful point in the production process.

The honey you receive is purely from nature, with minimal interference, and safe for your family.

Glyphosate is the world’s most used agricultural herbicide. It’s found regularly in food and water, but is known by the World Health Organization as a probable human carcinogen. There are no known safe levels of glyphosate.

Glyphosate can easily find its way into products, including honey. Of course, we don’t let that happen to our precious manuka honey, and want to share our confidence with you.

That’s why we’ve chosen to show that we’re glyphosate free.

The Detox Project was involved in the original groundbreaking study of glyphosate: Glyphosate: Unsafe on Any Plate.

This study claimed that alarming amounts of glyphosate were found in popular American foods, publishing food testing results and scientific reasons for concern.

The Detox Project works with governments and investors to support new alternative technologies to using chemical herbicides.

With their ongoing sophisticated research, The Detox Project is committed to human health, pure products, transparent information for consumers, and a safer and healthier environment.

This aligns with our own commitment to nature, purity, sustainable sourcing, and product transparency.

We passed initial product tests showing that we are free from glyphosate residue.

Our honey is tested at least twice a year to check that we’re still glyphosate free, and our certificate is renewed every year.

But we’ve gone a little further than that.

Every batch of our honey is also tested by us (through Analytica Laboratories), to ensure there’s no measured presence of glyphosate. This goes above and beyond the certification, because that’s how committed we are to a pure product.

The Fernmark license was created by New Zealand Story in 2015 to help New Zealand businesses capture and communicate their distinct Kiwi attributes through an iconic logo.

New Zealand Story is a government organisation that provides a path for New Zealand businesses to share their story with the world, by leveraging what makes them unique.

New Zealand depends on its great reputation to be able to share its products with the world, and this license holds businesses and industries accountable to upholding that reputation.

The Fernmark license has three core characteristics: kaitiaki (guardianship and conservation), integrity, and resourcefulness.

It strives to underpin who New Zealanders are and where we are from. After all, it’s often our values that give us the edge.

Being a long standing, established Kiwi business, we’re proud to display the Fernmark to show our commitment to excellence.

We are a trusted, high quality supplier from New Zealand. This authentication gives you the confidence to trust that our honey is the real deal.

We are approved by the New Zealand government and meet stringent standards around our messaging, labelling, quality and purity of products.

We proudly align ourselves with other New Zealand brands that also promote authenticity because we believe in representing the best that our country has to offer.

We have legal protection to ensure brand integrity. Our products, brand, and company are protected, ensuring they won’t and can’t be tampered with.

Check our Fernmark license here.

Certified by FIANZ, The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (Inc).

Halal is an Arabic word, meaning ‘lawful’ and ‘permitted’. In the food industry, it often refers to a specific way of processing meat. However, it can also apply to honey.

We have chosen to be certified Halal because it is important to our customers.

We want to show that our products are an acceptable part of an Islamic diet and that we recognise Islamic dietary requirements.

FIANZ is recognised by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) as an Approved Halal Organisation (APO).

Our honey is certified as acceptable to eat when following an Islamic law diet.

This certification has come from a highly respected and profound association.

Please email us if you’d like to see our Halal certification.

Certified by Kosher Kiwi

Our manuka honey products satisfy the requirements of Jewish law, and have been certified as kosher.

We have chosen to be certified kosher because we recognise certain dietary requirements that are valued by our customers.

Kosher Kiwi is the kosher mark of the United Orthodox Hebrew Congregations of New Zealand, which has been the hub of Jewish living in Auckland since the 1850s.

Our products satisfy the requirements of Jewish law.

We have been certified and recognised by the largest Jewish community in New Zealand.

Every jar of our Manuka Honey is packaged in BPA-free PET plastic which is widely accepted for recycling.

It’s very difficult to make lids from rPET - PCR (Post Consumer Resin), so it’s not common practice to do so.

We’ve chosen to use polypropylene for our honey jar lids, also sourced from PharmaPac.

Polypropylene is also a high-value recyclate which means it can be placed in kerbside recycling and the original material can be reused.

It’s a low density, strong resin that is resistant to functional failure, chemicals and heat.

It won’t break easily, but it will stretch to a certain point. This means it’s perfect for seals! On the first opening of the jar, when the lid is turned and put under pressure, the tough resin will stretch and then break cleanly.

The recyclability of it means it meets our high standards of having a low environmental impact.

PharmaPac is a New Zealand company creating plastic packaging solutions for pharmaceutical, medical, and nutritional purposes.

They make products from rPET - PCR (Post Consumer Resin) and polypropylene, in a good way.

• Being Enviro Mark Diamond accredited by Toitu means they have a recognised planned approach to managing and reducing their environmental impact.
• Being part of Operation Clean Sweep® indicates that PharmaPac is dedicated to keeping plastic litter out of the marine environment.
• Being TELARC-registered means that they undergo stringent audits and compliance checks.

We like PharmaPac’s approach to the environment.

It reflects our own respect for our beautiful backyard.

They’ve done their research into the most environmentally friendly options, and found that producing packaging that is recyclable is more sustainable than producing compostable or biodegradable plastic bottles.

This is largely due to the specifics of what happens to their products after they’re discarded: there are not as many commercial composting sites as people may expect.

Instead of this, they’re committed to a circular economy, and a zero net waste manufacturing process.

You can read more about their commitment to sustainability here.

We’ve chosen to use BPA free jars as we are aware of the potential health side affects of using products that contain BPA.

We want our customers to be happy and healthy, so it was an easy choice to refrain from using plastic that contains harsh chemicals.

Forest Management (FM) certification is awarded to forest managers or owners whose management practices meet the requirements of the FSC Principles and Criteria and the applicable FSC national forest stewardship standard.

We care about the actions that those in our supply chain choose to make, so we have partnered with suppliers who also care about our beautiful New Zealand environment to create our vibrant product boxes.

Our products are gluten free and dairy free.

Our products have no antibiotics and no additives.