Fake Manuka Honey - Is The Manuka Honey You Buy Real?
Manuka honey is special honey produced in New Zealand only by bees that pollinate the manuka bush (New Zealand teatree), which is native there. Many people, including Dr. Oz, believe Advocates say it is a natural antibiotic to treat colds and wound infections. But the demand for Manuka honey has created a new problem
First more about Manuka honey
Manuka honey is edible, and has a stronger flavor than regular honey. But its advocates claim that it's curative properties are that which makes it special.
Honey has long been considered to protect against bacterial infections and have an anti-inflammatory effect that may reduce pain and inflammation once it is applied. Honey contains hydrogen peroxide, which gives most honey its key antibiotic ability. But manuka honey also has methylglyoxal (MG) which comes from a component in the nectar of the manuka flowers, in much greater amounts than other honeys. It is believed that the MG increases manuka honey's antibacterial power. Consequently, the honey producers rate manuka honey's concentration of MG on a UMF scale (Unique Manuka Factor). To be considered potent enough to be therapeutic, manuka honey needs a minimum rating of 10 UMF. Honey at or above that level is marketed as "UMF Manuka Honey" or "Active Manuka Honey." Fans of manuka honey also claim that is can be used to prevent and treat cancer, reduce bad cholesterol, treat diabetes, and other ailments.
The Manuka Honey Scam
The scam we are address here is not about whether manuka honey real can live up to these medicinal claims; other medical web pages address that. The scam we are reporting is about the sale of counterfeit, fake manuka honey. That is, honey which is being labeled as manuka honey, but it either simply isn't or it is diluted or adulterated such that it cannot possibly live up to the claims.
The bottom line is that the huge demand compared with the limited supply has created a market for scammers. UMFHA, the main trade association of New Zealand mānuka honey producers, reports that only 1,700 tons of mānuka honey are produced each year, yet 10,000 tons of produce is being sold internationally as mānuka honey, including 1,800 tons in the UK alone.
Governmental agency tests in the UK conducted between 2011 and 2013 found that a majority of mānuka-labelled honeys sampled in the UK lacked the non-peroxide anti-microbial activity that makes mānuka honey special. Similarly, over half of samples tested by UMFHA in Britain, China and Singapore in 2012-13 also tested negative, meaning they are fakes.
And the strength of the active agents in manuka hone also varies considerably. In some cases, this could be due to the that the bees cannot be forced to forage only on mānuka flowers, which are limited in supply also. There have been increasing turf disputes between producers operating close to large mānuka tree clumps, and also cases reported of many hives being variously sabotaged or stolen.But obviously, scammers are also diluting manuka honey, or flatly labeling ordinary honey as manuka honey.