HNZ takes home top prize

20 September 2021  |  NHP

 

 

Honey New Zealand beat hundreds of other honeys from around the world as a panel of experts judged our UMF Manuka honey winner of the top PLATINUM award in the quality category.

This is the first year Honey New Zealand have entered these International awards, which see a panel of honey experts taste all different sorts of varieties ranking them on taste, texture, profile and of course, unique Manuka properties.

As well as being award-winning, one of the other things that makes Honey New Zealand Manuka special is that they are UMF rated.

UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor. It’s an independent grading system which was created in New Zealand by a trade-body called the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA).

Not all Manuka brands are able to use the UMF logo. Firstly UMF Manuka must be packed in New Zealand itself. Secondly the honey must meet certain levels of four naturally occurring markers, including MGO (or Methylglyoxal) to be given a UMF rating. And finally, the honey must be tested by an independent lab in New Zealand.

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 as well as MGO itself.

For more information on the range click here