What To Look For When Buying Pure Manuka Honey

With many fake or adulterated Manuka honey selections popping up, it’s important to learn what makes this special type of honey so different from the rest and how to tell if it’s authentic. If you’re not buying the real thing, you may not receive as many of the perceived Manuka honey benefits. 

Stronger or more potent Manuka honey (MGO >1083+) will be packed with bioactive ingredients that have been suggested to have unique antibacterial properties. These stronger honey jars are premium and will typically be priced higher than less potent varieties.

Higher priced honey does not necessarily make it quality honey. There are a few easy checks you can do to make sure you are getting the most out of your Manuka honey.

Inspect the honey 

Manuka honey has a light to medium amber/brown colour. This is why we like to keep our packaging transparent. Visually, you will be able to see the PURITI difference in the quality of our honey. 

The taste is not overly sweet and often has a slightly bitter aftertaste with nutty undertones. 

Consistency is gel-like and viscous. Unlike other, cheaper varieties of honey which are often either really runny or overly firm. 

Read the label and qualifications

The first thing to look for is that the Manuka honey is made and packaged in New Zealand (NZ). If the honey is packaged elsewhere, shortcuts could be taken by blending the honey with other cheaper varieties or adding sugar syrup. Honey tested outside of NZ follows different regulations and requirements for what qualifies as genuine Manuka honey. 

Honey importation into NZ has been banned by the Ministry of Primary Industry (MPI). Therefore, transparency and quality assurance from farm to table is guaranteed. Look for Monofloral varieties of genuine Manuka honey in New Zealand. 

Most importantly, look behind the brand. We believe PURITI honey is the very best in every aspect. We aim to eliminate the confusion surrounding Manuka honey and step above and beyond our legal requirements for testing. 

Check the company is licensed (like PURITI) to use the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) trademark. The licensed brand name and license number must be displayed clearly on the label. The level of methylglyoxal (MGO) must be written next to the UMF trademark. This must all be verified by the official UMF release certificate which should contain the result for the batch. 

Quality Manuka honey has to undergo the strictest of tests to authenticate the honey. The main test is measuring the level of MGO or methylglyoxal in a jar. This is what makes high-quality Manuka honey so unique.  No other varieties of honey contain this component. 

The higher the MGO, then the higher the antibacterial activity. 

The Manuka honey UMF directly correlates with the MGO rating. UMF tests for three main components: Leptosperin, DHA and methylglyoxal. A jar of PURITI 15+ UMF Manuka honey has an MGO rating of 550 or higher. This is more than the recommended typical requirement of 514. 

Why Choose PURITI?

At PURITI, our Manuka honey goes beyond its requirements. Offering transparency, the strictest regulations and testing above export standards required by all Manuka honey brands. 

Legal testing is only required for exported products. At PURITI, we like everyone to be treated equally. That’s why all PURITI Manuka honey products are tested thoroughly. 

Our jars are designed to be anti-counterfeit and consumer security features are of the highest priority. Ensuring quality and authenticity.

We also test for Glyphosate, a herbicide with growing evidence that it causes health-related issues. These are just some of the reasons why PURITI is one of the best Manuka honey brands in New Zealand. 

Buy our Manuka honey online or in selected stores for all your cosmetic and wellness needs.