UMF™ is the abbreviation for ‘Unique Manuka Factor’, a trustworthy standard of measure established by the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA). It was set up to give consumers confidence that what they're buying is the real deal and is the strictest honey accreditation programme in the world.

The UMF™ grading system measures natural markers found in manuka honey and assures quality, purity, and authenticity. This system is also compliant with New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industry’s labelling guidelines for manuka honey. To get certified with a UMF™ grade, a batch of honey needs to be independently tested by UMFHA.

For more information about UMF™, visit www.umf.org.nz or have a read through our blog article below:

• UMF™ Honey and the UMFHA
• What is UMF™ in manuka honey
• Honey with UMF™: Clearing up the Confusion

MGO stands for methylglyoxal. It is the main active compound found in manuka honey and is responsible for much of its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activity. Although not a technical grading system, methylglyoxal is often used as a way of displaying potency and is measured in milligrams per kilogram of manuka honey.

It can be measured alongside UMF™, which is the more robust grading system we use. We find that sharing both numbers is helpful for our customers, as it helps them to understand the different grades and what they mean. For example, a UMF™ 15+ manuka honey is equivalent to MGO 514+.

For more information about MGO, check out our dedicated articles below:

• What Does MGO Mean on manuka honey?
• UMF™ vs MGO vs KFactor vs BioActive vs MGS vs NPA? Who’s Confused About manuka honey?

Our honey is not officially certified as an organic food. However, nothing artificial is added to this product at any stage in the honey production process. The only ingredient in our jars is 100% pure, raw manuka honey and nothing else. The farmland the bees forage is not sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides because the rugged, mountainous terrain is not suitable for animals to graze. We only deal in real.

To learn more about this topic, check out these in-depth articles from our blog:

• What’s The Deal With Organic Honey?
• Our New Zealand manuka honey is Glyphosate Free
• How to Tell if Your Honey is Pure
• How Do Bees Make Honey?

Yes, our honey is 100% raw. This means that we do not add anything to the honey at any stage of the production process. The product you receive is as it exists in the beehive after extraction. It has not been pasteurized.

Manuka honey is unique to New Zealand and comes from the Leptospermum scoparium tree, which is a native and limited resource. With a small harvesting window of only 2-8 weeks each year, it is difficult to extract, and the hives are often located in rugged and remote mountainous areas. It is also a specialized task for beekeepers to obtain quality manuka honey, which requires training and experience.

There are only 2800 tonnes of manuka honey produced each year, compared with 1.9 million tonnes of other honey types produced globally. This 2800 tonnes has to supply the entire global market. As there are different grades of manuka honey, the higher the grade, the less there is available and the more scarce it becomes.

Extensive research also supports the proven health benefits of manuka honey. It has incredibly powerful therapeutic properties, which also results in its high demand.

For more information about why manuka honey is expensive and how to ensure you're getting the real deal, check out our dedicated articles below:

• Why is manuka honey Expensive?
• What You Need To Know About Counterfeit Honey
• How to Avoid Buying 'Fake' Manuka Honey
• Is Manuka Honey Worth It? It Depends. Here’s Why...

Here is a checklist to identify genuine UMF™ manuka honey:

1. The quality UMF™ trademark is clearly stated on the label.
2. The honey is made, processed, packed, and labelled in New Zealand. It is illegal to import foreign honey into New Zealand, and the local regulations are very strict. So if you have a UMF™-certified honey from New Zealand, you can be confident that you're getting the real deal.
3. It has the New Zealand UMF™ Licensee’s brand name on the label and is produced by a New Zealand company licensed to use the quality trademark UMF™. You can verify this by searching the UMFHA's list of certified brands: www.umf.org.nz/certified-brands.
4. A grading number without the abbreviation UMF™ does not identify genuine UMF™ manuka honey. It must have a rating number AND the UMF™ trademark to be legitimate.
5. When the UMFHA independently tests a batch of honey, they provide an Official UMF Release Document, which states the test results for all four manuka markers (leptosperin + methylglyoxal + DHA + HMF). If you've purchased a jar of manuka honey from us, you can search for this document here.

For more information about UMF™ and getting genuine manuka honey, check out these articles from our blog:

• Honey with UMF™: Clearing up the Confusion
• UMF™ vs MGO vs KFactor vs BioActive vs MGS vs NPA? Who’s Confused About Manuka Honey?
• How to Avoid Buying 'Fake' Manuka Honey
• What You Need to Know About Counterfeit Honey

When the honey comes directly from the hive, it is liquid. After a period of time, the honey will start to granulate. This is normal. We control the granulation by creaming our manuka honey to give customers a more pleasant texture. This doesn't affect the taste, health properties, or purity of the honey. Once the honey changes state from liquid to solid, it will never reverse and is very stable.

To learn more about honey texture, check out these in-depth guides from our blog:

• Why Honey Crystallises And What To Do About It.
• How To Soften Hard Honey The Right Way

There are many reported and proven health benefits of using manuka honey. Here are some of the most common uses (click the links below to learn more about each benefit and the evidence backing it up):

• Relieves stomach problems such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, ulcerative colitis, GERD, acid reflux, and bacterial infections from H.Pylori.
• Helps with relieving acne and addressing inflammation & scarring.
• Helps wounds to heal faster and supports the natural reduction of scarring.
• Helps burns to heal faster.
• Supports the natural management of diabetes.
• Reduces asthma-related inflammation.
• Antiviral and can be used with some illnesses.
• Remedies colds, sore throats, and even strep throat.
• Alleviates the symptoms of sinus infections.
• Can support weight loss when taken as part of a balanced diet.
• Provides antibiotic benefits.
• Helps with issues related to menopause.
• Used as a pre-workout superfood.
• Can help to boost testosterone.
• Accelerates the healing of canker sores and mouth ulcers.
• Exhibits antifungal properties.
• Can support allergy symptoms.
• Calms eczema flare-ups.
• Helps mums during and after pregnancy.

But beyond the proven benefits of manuka honey, customers are constantly sharing new ways that they are getting results. Check out their testimonials here. Or, if you'd like to find out how you can apply manuka honey in your own life, check out these 175+ uses.

UMF™ is a grading system used to verify the authenticity, purity and potency of manuka honey produced in New Zealand. It is the strictest honey grading system in the world, which is designed to give buyers confidence that what they're getting is a legitimate and top-quality product.

The number next to each UMF™ grade indicates its potency. The main active ingredient in manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MGO). Higher UMF™ numbers indicate a stronger concentration of MGO in the honey. To see a chart that compares how different UMF™ grades translate to MGO levels, check out this article on our blog.

There are four commonly used grading systems for manuka honey and two well-known measurements of active compounds. These grading systems are Unique Manuka Factor (UMF™), BioActive, KFactor, Molan Gold Standard (MGS). The measurements are Methylglyoxal (MGO) and Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA).

Manuka honey has been around for many years, ever since honey bees were introduced to New Zealand in 1839. However, it was only in 1982 that Doctor Peter Molan from the University of Waikato discovered its power in a laboratory environment. Since then, organisations have been established to conduct their own extensive research on manuka honey due to its incredibly unique properties.

In 1998, the UMFHA was founded to do just that - not only protect consumers from counterfeit products, but also to safeguard the industry from counterfeit products. The UMF™ grading system and measuring of methylglyoxal levels (the key active compound), is the oldest, most well established and widely recognised grading system of manuka honey in the world.

Learn more in these articles over on our blog:

• UMF™ vs MGO vs KFactor vs BioActive vs MGS vs NPA? Who’s Confused About Manuka Honey?
• What is UMF™ in Manuka Honey?
• UMF™ Honey and the UMFHA
• How Much UMF™ is Enough?

A teaspoon of manuka honey contains approximately 12 calories, compared to 16 calories in a teaspoon of refined sugar. Manuka honey is a complex superfood that contains 2000+ naturally occurring compounds, providing many more health properties than refined sugar, which has no nutritional benefit.

Learn more in these articles over on our blog:

• How Much Sugar Does Honey Have?
• Honey vs. Sugar: What You Need to Know
• Is a Spoonful of Honey a Day Good for You?

UMF™ 10+ manuka honey is considered to have MGO (methylglyoxal) levels high enough for medicinal use. This means that the honey's activity may be powerful enough to kill harmful bacteria and support the natural healing of a wound, cut, or abrasion.

Higher grades of manuka honey have been reported to provide greater and faster results - as they contain stronger concentrations of MGO, the main active ingredient. Always consult a professional medical practitioner as necessary.

To learn more about how manuka honey helps your wounds to recover, check out these articles on our blog:

• Manuka Honey Wound Care: Will It Help You To Recover?
• When to Use Manuka Honey on Wounds
• Thinking of Buying Medical Grade Honey? Read This First…

Or click here to shop our range of medicinal-grade manuka honey.

For many years, women have consumed manuka honey during pregnancy with no reported problems. As long as you're not allergic to bee products, it is okay to eat.

It can also help you get back to optimal health after childbirth by relieving sore breastfeeding nipples, dulling new stretch marks, and providing a natural energy boost when you’re most exhausted.

Always consult a professional as necessary. To learn more about manuka honey for pregnancy, check out this in-depth guide.

No. It is not safe for infants under 18 months old to ingest Manuka Honey. Manuka Honey contains live enzymes and bacteria because it is a living food. These living organisms can grow inside a baby’s gut and cause infant botulism. Babies’ intestines are not mature enough to fight the harmful bacteria.

Honey doesn’t really expire. It has been said that it remains as good as when it was extracted. In fact, ancient honey uncovered in 3000-year-old Egyptian tombs has been found to still be edible.

As long as it is stored properly (out of direct sunlight, not exposed to direct heat, and not frozen), it will last well beyond its best-before date. For health and safety purposes, we recommend consuming your honey within three years of opening.

The UMF™ grading and activity levels in the honey will decline over time. Our range of UMF™ manuka honey is guaranteed to hold its certified activity levels until at least the expiry date stated on the jar.

To learn more about this topic, check out the following articles on our blog:

• Does Honey Go Off or Expire?
• How Long Does Manuka Honey Last?
• Why Honey Crystallises and What To Do About It

If your honey becomes gritty and sugar-like, don’t fret. This happens naturally, especially when the weather turns cooler. As honey contains more sugar than water, the sugar particles can begin to separate and crystallize over time.

Crystallized honey is perfectly fine to consume and this doesn't mean that it is of poor quality or has been adulterated. This is actually a sign of a raw, pure, less adulterated honey product. Simply place the jar in a warm area or gently heat to soften the honey; this will remove the crystals.

For more information about this topic and how to heat it without damaging the honey, check out the following articles on our blog:

• Why Honey Crystallises And What To Do About It.
• How To Soften Hard Honey The Right Way

Yes, we use 100% recyclable rPET - PCR (Post Consumer Resin) packaging, free from BPA. Please recycle responsibly in accordance with your local recycling centre processes.