Our Certifications
CERTIFIED UMF
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
To ensure your Manuka Honey is genuine, look for the UMF logo (Unique Manuka Factor ) on the label. It is estimated that up to 80% of all honey labelled as Manuka honey is not legitimate Manuka.
UMF® grading tests for 4 markers in Manuka including Methylglyoxal, NPA & Leptosperin. This is what gives Manuka honey its unique properties.
The higher the UMF® number, the purer the Manuka properties.
Steens Mānuka Honey is all independently tested and certified.
Anything labelled ‘Active’ or 'Total Activity’ is not permitted under NZ Government labelling guidelines, and only measures for Peroxide Activity, which is found in all honey and breaks down quickly with heat and time.
You can find the testing certificates for your Steens honey by entering your batch number or trace code (found on the back of the jar near the barcode) into our testing certificate finder.
TRUSTED
CERTIFIED GENUINE NEW ZEALAND Mānuka HONEY
All Steens Raw Mānuka Honey is independently tested for purity and certified for authenticity under the strict New Zealand Government guidelines. We have been beekeeping for over 40 years and are proudly:
- Certified Glyphosate Free
- UMF Certified
- Non-GMO Certified
- NZ Fernmark Licensed
Our honey contains up to 15 times more bio-available bee bread and pollen than any other well known Mānuka Honey brand due to our unique harvesting and packing methods.
WHAT IS
ACTIVE Mānuka HONEY?
The name "Active" is used by many to refer to the ‘total peroxide activity’ which is enzyme-created hydrogen peroxide. This substance is not unique to Manuka and can be found in most honeys. This substance breaks down quickly during storage and therefore loses its effectiveness very quickly. The word "active" does not indicate the honey has the special unique ‘non-peroxide’ property, which is only found in Manuka honey.
There is no independent auditing and monitoring of honey called ‘active Manuka’ honey nor of honey labelled ‘Manuka’ honey other than that labelled with the UMF® trade mark. In fact the New Zealand Government has banned the use of the active grading system as they have said it is misleading. Unfortunately however ‘Manuka’ that is packed in overseas markets can still be labelled this way, which creates confusion for consumers.
WHAT IS
UMF CERTIFIED?
UMF® is a quality trademark and grading system that guarantees the purity of the Manuka honey you are buying.
It uses the most comprehensive and transparent test currently available for Manuka honey. It appraises a number of natural markers found in Manuka Honey to assure its purity and quality.
In order to be certified UMF®, Steens tests for Manuka markers across 4 different spectrums,including the recently discovered Leptosperin marker – (which is unique to Manuka) - as well as other compounds such as Methylglyoxal (MGO). Other competing grading systems only test for one marker (MGO) as their reference point for grading.
Unfortunately MGO can be adulterated and can be found in other honeys. Therefore MGO is not a good test for Manuka purity, as evidenced in a landmark case in 2016.
Leptosperin is an abundant, stable and scientifically researched marker that is unique to Manuka honey in New Zealand. Steens - as part of the UMF® association, has the rights to test exclusively for this key characteristic of Manuka honey.
This clearly differentiates UMF® graded honey as a truly genuine Manuka honey - a claim that other grading systems cannot make.
CHECKLIST
HOW TO IDENTIFY GENUINE UMF MANUKA HONEY
Genuine UMF® Manuka honey must comply with all six of the following criteria:
It has the UMF® quality trademark clearly stated on the label
It is packed into jars and labelled in New Zealand, before it is sent offshore.
It is from a New Zealand company licensed to use the quality trademark UMF®
It has the UMF® licensee's brand name and licence number on the label
It has a rating number alongside the trademark UMF® - a number on its own or without the trademark UMF® logo does not identify genuine UMF® Manuka Honey
It must have a minimum level of Leptosperin & MGO to be graded UMF®
GRADING
WHY CAN ONLY SOME Mānuka HONEY BE CERTIFIED UMF®?
Unfortunately a lot of ‘Manuka’ honey being sold internationally is not legitimate Manuka honey. It is in fact low strength Manuka blended with other honey types such as Kanuka.
Kanuka is a plant that is prevalent in the South Island of New Zealand and it looks identical to the Manuka tree. It flowers at approximately the same time as the Manuka bush in New Zealand and is often mistaken as Manuka for these reasons. Unfortunately Kanuka does not contain DHA, Methylglyoxal or Leptosperin, which are the key components that give Manuka its unique properties.
Even with Manuka that is harvested from legitimate Manuka sites, the concentration of these properties can vary from batch to batch.
UMF® grade Manuka honey is graded to ensure that all of these marker levels meet set criteria for each grade
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?
HOW THE UMF® NUMBER TRANSLATES INTO MGO
To receive a UMF® grading, a honey must have the presence of DHA (dihydroxyacetone), Methylglyoxal and Leptosperin. The UMF® rating is a measure of the attributes and values that make up Manuka honey and assures purity & quality.
