Manuka Honey: Liquid Gold or Not?
TVNZ, 8/5/2009 - They call it liquid gold - it's one of our fastest growing export success stories but Close up rips the lid off an industry rife with false claims and deceit.
Jars of active Manuka honey are being sold overseas for up to $200 a pop.
The honey is prized for its unique antibacterial activity and is used in wound healing, as well as against digestive problems.
But the claims on the packaging often fail to match what's inside, meaning huge profits for unscrupulous producers.
Gill Higgins investigates a murky industry in need of a clean up and Mark Sainsbury talks to John Rawcliffe from the Honey Association.
There have been and are steps being taking by the main industry players to protect consumer interests. As mentioned in this story, members of AMHA (an industry body) are subjected to an auditing process for their honey to ensure it meets certain standards and is correctly labelled, and they can carry the UMF® mark on their label to signify that to consumers.
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