A group of four leading Australian scientists have developed a test to prove the authenticity of Australian Manuka honey.

The four scientests are members of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the new Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA).

Paul Callander, AMHA founding chairman, said the scientists are experts in the Manuka honey field and have outstanding global reputations.

He said they had developed a comprehensive set of scientific testing benchmarks that can used to authenticate Australian Manuka.

Entitled ‘Criteria for Defining Australian Manuka Honey’ the guidelines can be downloaded from the Association’s website.

The guidelines have been developed in support of a soon-to-be-released AMHA Mark of Authenticity that members will be able to include on their Manuka honey labels.

He said they had developed a comprehensive set of scientific testing benchmarks that can used to authenticate Australian Manuka.

Entitled ‘Criteria for Defining Australian Manuka Honey’ the guidelines can be downloaded from the Association’s website.

The guidelines have been developed in support of a soon-to-be-released AMHA Mark of Authenticity that members will be able to include on their Manuka honey labels.

Yes, not only is she dazzlingly beautiful, and soon to be a British Royal, but Meghan Markle is now also revealed to be a manuka honey devotee.

Markle told the UK’s Daily Mail in January last year (i.e. 2017) that she has manuka honey with rolled oats and bee pollen for breakfast.

Its part of her anti-ageing regime and perhaps that’s part of her secret as to how she snared a younger man – Prince Harry – as her husband to be.

Certainly its important to point out that the revelation was made well before her engagement.

So it is clearly not part of some bizarre scheme to get a free manuka honey sponsorship like other US celebrities have done (Did I mention Gwynneth Paltrow, Johanssen or Kim Kardashian?).

Leatherwood honey adds a wonderful zest to stewed rhubarb, and perfectly offsets the natural tartness of the rhubarb stalks.

So if you love stewed rhubarb, why not try your next batch with some leatherwood honey either in addition to, or instead of the sugar you’d normally add.

ABC consumer TV programme -The Checkout - aimed its sights at Manuka honey
last night in the second episode of the popular show's 1918 season.

With the help of a microbiologist at the University of Technology, Sydney - Dr Nural Cokcetin, it showed that some brands are making unproven and extravagant therapeutic claims.

Checkout presenter Zoe Norton-Lodge  was particularly scathing about claims on the label of New Zealand's 'Royal Bee' brand of Manuka honey.

And another top-selling brand, for example - Australian By Nature,  claims that its Manuka honey can treat "gastroenteritis and constipation."

In fact, as Dr Cokcetin told viewers, there is little scientific support for claims that manuka honey continues to have therapeutic benefits once it is digested.

A Melaleuca (i.e tea-tree) honey produced in northern NSW should soon be available to US customers branded as Meluka honey.

And a hemp seed honey product may soon follow.

Perth based former uranium explorer – ASX listed Eve Investments announced last week (i.e. dated 9 November) that a subsidiary company it half-owns - Medic Honey has started marketing Meluka Honey into the US.

It said that the two Meluka honey products  “are currently being presented to potential customers.”

Both are based on the melaleuca alternifolia (i.e. tea-tree) bush which grows naturally in northern NSW.  One of the Meluka honeys, however is being marketed as a “ raw medicinal honey for topical use only.” 

Capilano backs new Australian Manuka Honey Association

ASX Listed Capilano has been confirmed as one of the backers of the new Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA).

Other Australian honey companies, marketers, researchers and scientists are also involved in AMHA, which was formally incorporated as a public company limited earlier this month.

AMHA Chairman Paul Callander, from Western Australian plant-breeder,  ManukaLife  Pty Ltd, said that the new Association will oppose any moves by New Zealand honey interests to trademark the phrase Manuka honey.

Australian retail prices for Manuka honey appear to have crashed in the second half of 2017.

They’re still high, and mostly higher than ordinary or normal honey. But prices for the special, ‘active’ Manuka honeys have tumbled dramatically.

New Zealand’s largest Manuka honey producer, the NZ Stock Exchange listed Comvita, is a good example.

Prices at its Australian online store were still at the old levels as this issue went to press. So a 250gms jar of its 20+ Manuka honey was still listed at $239.95, and the 15+ at some $129.95.

New Zealand UMF Manuka honey producers – listing as at October 2017

New Zealand’s Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) Honey Association has more than 100 members, and includes most of the big NZ honey producers.

This is a listing of the members, and web site links (where available).

An attempt to trademark and restrict using the name Manuka honey to only New Zealand producers appears to have run into serious problems.

New Zealand’s Intellectual Property Office has reportedly rejected an application from the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) Honey Association.

However the Association is said to be appealing the decision, and press reports suggest that the New Zealanders have also submitted trademark applications in Australia, the US, UK and perhaps even China.

The Australian application is reported to have lapsed, and those lodged in the other countries are understood to also still yet to get approval.

If you are allergic to dairy proteins such as casein, then you’d probably best avoid eating honey imported from China.That’s because one of Europe’s leading technical laboratories has now confirmed multiple instances of Chinese honey containing milk proteins.
Just how and why honey should contain any level of milk proteins is a mystery. But experts are speculating that it may be a masking attempt by the Chinese manufacturers of fake and imitation honey.
Or in other words, the Chinese might be trying to fool the usual tests for fake and adulterated honey.
(The casein may also just be the result of sloppy and/or incompetent storage and handling processes.)
But, according to the German company, Intertek GmbH, there can now be no doubt that some Chinese honeys imported into Europe contain traces of milk proteins.