The US is the fastest-growing market for New Zealand mānuka honey, and in responding to growing demand, the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) created the Mānuka Mastery Course to raise awareness of the Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF™) logo and rating system to help retailers and dietitians to identify authentic New Zealand mānuka honey.
The UMFHA was founded over 25 years ago by New Zealand beekeepers who recognized the need for a standardized system to certify the unique properties of mānuka honey. The UMFHA, an independent trade association, works with producers and brands to certify that they adhere to a unique quality system to ensure potency, authenticity, shelf life and freshness. The UMF™ certification verifies the presence of all key factors in mānuka honey, ensuring that consumers get a product that is true to its label. Furthermore, since New Zealand has zero honey imports, UMF™ certified honey is 100% pure and traceable and the only quality rating to look for on the label when purchasing mānuka honey.
Authentic mānuka honey is unique to New Zealand and has gained popularity over the years as a powerful and delicious natural health product. Unlike regular honey, mānuka honey’s Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF™) is supported by extensive research demonstrating its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Mānuka honey has more than 2,300 compounds (vs. 90 in white clover honey) and researchers continue to identify bioactive compounds and synergies. It is consumed globally as a functional food that may aid in cough relief, soothing sore throats and supporting digestive and immune health.
New Zealand’s indigenous Māori populations have revered the healing properties of the mānuka tree for generations. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s that Waikato University professor Peter Molan discovered the unique antibacterial effects of mānuka honey for wound healing. Today, medical-grade mānuka honey is FDA-approved and used by doctors worldwide in wound care to promote healing in chronic wounds including those with antibiotic-resistant infections.
The bioactive properties of mānuka honey are a result of bees taking the unique nectar of the single source (monofloral) flower of the mānuka tree (Leptospermum Scoparium) native to New Zealand. The potency of mānuka honey, or the Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF™) rating is reflected in the concentration of methylglyoxal (MGO) and dihydroxyacetone (DHA), antibacterial compounds found in the greatest quantities in mānuka honey. Leptosperin is an anti-inflammatory compound unique to mānuka honey, that can vary from batch to batch and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) which helps indicate the shelf life of the honey. The higher the UMF™ rating the more powerful the honey. There is no quality system or rating that compares.
Certified authenticity
That UMF™ certification mark is increasingly important as a surge of products are claiming to offer the full benefits of mānuka honey. The UMF™ certification is the only independent standard that verifies the authenticity and powerful health benefits uniquely found in New Zealand mānuka honey. Each batch of Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF™) certified honey undergoes a Four Factor Quality Assurance Test, to verify its potency, authenticity, shelf life and freshness:
- MGO for potency. Methylglyoxal is the source of golden mānuka honey’s special antibacterial properties and an important potency measure. The higher the MGO, the stronger the concentration of MGO.
- Leptosperin for authenticity. Leptosperin is a compound found only in mānuka flower nectar and can only be created by nature. Measuring this unique component ensures the authenticity of mānuka honey. Laboratory research also shows leptosperin content has anti-inflammatory properties that grow as the UMF™ scale increases.
- DHA for shelf life. Dihydroxyacetone is slowly converted to MGO in healthy, living honey. The higher the DHA content, the longer the life of the MGO content in your Mānuka honey. Mānuka honey must have more than 70 mg/kg DHA to be UMF™- certified.
- HMF for freshness. UMF™ tests for hydroxymethylfurfural–a compound that assures honey has not been overheated or stored too long and is in the best condition to maintain the unique blend of living properties in mānuka honey.
According to Tony Wright, The CEO of the UMFHA, “New Zealand is the only government in the world that has developed a test to certify and identify mānuka honey to ensure honey packed for the end user in New Zealand is genuine.” UMFHA then independently certifies the quality and potency of New Zealand mānuka honey packed and sealed in New Zealand, only to be opened by consumers in market. “Uncertified honey, without the UMF™ mark, may have no benefit or may lose its benefit over time and may no longer meet the claims on the label,” Wright added.
A UMF™ rating of 5+ to 10+ supports a healthy lifestyle, while 15+ to 20+ offers enhanced health benefits. The highest grades, 25+ and above, provide exceptional potency and nutritional support.
Mānuka honey can be enjoyed straight off the spoon or as a topping for fruit, yogurt and cereal. For coffee and tea drinkers, it should be added with care (allow beverages to cool down), because overheating or cooking with mānuka honey will degrade its bioactivity and reduce its functional health benefits.
The UMF™ mark can also be found on certified products such as mānuka honey lozenges, gummies, oral sprays, skin care products and lip balms.
A short and sweet education
The UMFHA works closely with the many New Zealand brands in the US and worldwide to support them in educating their staff, and consumers. UMFHA provides training material, shareable videos, digital content, health information support, point-of-sale collateral, and ongoing direct-to-consumer promotions to contribute to the growth of the mānuka honey category.
This past November on Mānuka Honey Day (11/4), the UMFHA launched the Mānuka Mastery Course. The short 40-min online course was developed to educate retailers, health professionals, and consumers about the unique health benefits of mānuka honey and how to use the UMF™ mark on the label and rating system to ensure the purchase of authentic mānuka honey at the right potency level.
According to Registered Dietitian and retail health expert, Barbara Ruhs, MS, RDN, “after completing the Mānuka Mastery Course, retailers will be better equipped at sourcing mānuka honey to build confidence with their customers and have more knowledge to maximize sales by effectively marketing and merchandising mānuka honey.”
Health professionals and dietitians who take the free course will learn about the extensive research behind mānuka honey, and the science behind its health benefits to guide clients in choosing the right UMF™ level of bioactivity for the desired health benefits.
Sign up today via e-mail to take a deep dive into learning about mānuka honey – one of the world’s most natural functional foods! The Mānuka Mastery Course is a self-paced online course with modules delivered to your inbox each week.
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