Monday, October 11, 2010

New Zealand Honey Industry Takes Broader View on Manuka Tests

NZPA, 10/11/10
New Zealand's manuka honey industry has arranged for two laboratories in Asia and Europe to test for the special antibacterial activity present in some strains of manuka honey, to make it easier for supermarket chains and other offshore customers to verify its quality.

The labs are additional to two already used in New Zealand by processors and exporters.

Active Manuka Honey Association (AMHA) general manager John Rawlcliffe said the laboratories will be able to use not only tests on anti-bacterial activity but also objective chemical markers such as the methylglyoxal content…

AMHA previously has heavily focused on protecting its UMF (unique manuka factor) quality mark, and has argued against methylglyoxal being used alone as a measure of the honey's antibacterial properties...

No comments: