UMF certification is a highly sought after quality trademark for Manuka honey. It is a guarantee that your honey is genuine and has all the natural, special properties that make it so desirable worldwide.
All honey labelled with UMF must be produced, packed and labelled in New Zealand. It must also pass a series of tests to ensure it is true to its label claim.
Certification Process
The UMF grading and certification system is used to protect manuka honey producers from counterfeit products. It is a rigorous process that involves a series of tests to verify the authenticity of the honey. All UMF licensed honey must be produced, packaged and labelled in New Zealand. The UMF association also requires that all their members undergo audits and inspections.
As the UMF trademark is a well-known and trusted quality mark, other brands and rating types have begun to emerge. Some of these are attempting to compete with the official UMF Trademark. These other trademarks and ratings, however, are not approved by the UMF Association and they may not have an external quality control system in place. As such, they are not a reliable alternative to the official UMF rating.
MGO
MGO stands for Methylglyoxal, and is one of the natural markers found in New Zealand Manuka honey. Steens is proud to be part of the UMF association, a testing system that appraises multiple different markers for authenticity, including the Leptosperin marker which is unique to Manuka honey.
A Manuka honey with a higher MGO will be more effective in supporting your health. MGO is one of three signature Manuka markers tested for along with Leptosperin and DHA (which converts to Methylglyoxal). All of these natural markers are important in confirming that your New Zealand Manuka honey is authentic. This gives you confidence that the honey you are buying is genuine, pure and made in New Zealand. This means you can be sure that the UMF grading level stated on the packaging is accurate.
Leptosperin
The UMF certification process is a rigorous one that guarantees the quality of your Manuka honey. In addition to being produced, packed, and labeled in New Zealand, it must meet certain levels of four naturally occurring markers. These include Leptosperin, DHA, and Methylglyoxal (MGO).
MGO is a natural antibacterial compound that is found in the nectar of the Manuka plant. It can be compared to the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which is present in the brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina of humans.
Unlike other grading systems, the UMF system appraises several different natural markers of Manuka honey to ensure its authenticity and purity. For example, it uses the Leptosperin marker, which is unique to the New Zealand Manuka genus. This is a stable, scientifically proven markr that elicits fluorescence at the MM1 wavelengths of Manuka honey.
DHA
The DHA license is available for physicians, dentists, midwives, nurses and other professionals from allied healthcare. The procedure to gratify the DHA medical licence is a voluble process that binds many steps. The first step includes heeding the self-assessment test. This is done by logging in to the Sheryan portal.
This will give you access to the assessment tests and information you need to get started. You’ll also need to complete the Primary Source Verification (PSV) process with DataFlow before you can take your DHA exam. This can take 15-24 working days to complete. In the meantime, you can start preparing for your exam. You may even want to consider enrolling in a DHA training course. This will help you pass the exam with confidence.
HMF
In contrast to other Manuka grading systems that focus solely on MGO levels, Steens UMF certification appraises a number of natural markers including Leptosperin and non-peroxide activity (NPA). These are the natural properties that make New Zealand Manuka honey so unique.
In addition, UMF certified Manuka must be made by a company that is licensed to use the quality trademark and adheres to strict guidelines from production to packaging. The company must also pass a rigorous testing process.
This includes the verification of the company’s workforce and an independent test on each batch of honey. This ensures that the honey meets all quality requirements and is true to label claims. Lastly, all UMF-labelled honey must be independently tested after packing. SummerGlow Apiaries Ltd is a UMF licensed honey producer – licence number 1001. The UMF trademark is an internationally recognized quality mark that’s backed by scientific research and standardised tests.