Publications

It has become common to trade mānuka honey based on a forecast of its future grade and quality. However, simply using the maximum future grade of the honey may not be the best way of valuing honey today. Its current value will be affected by things like the cost of carrying the honey while it ‘grows’, the risk of the honey being damaged while it ‘grows’, and its ability to be packed into a product that can be sold in high-value overseas markets.

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This article offers some details on the C4 sugar test and two screening methods.

Honey samples can be tested for tutin using either composite or individual testing. While the lower initial cost of testing a sample as part of a 10-sample composite is attractive, it can be a false economy if the composite sample fails and all the samples in it need to be re-tested individually. If there is a moderate or unknown risk of tutin being in samples, consider testing samples in composite groups of five rather than 10. If there is a high risk of a sample containing tutin above MPI’s maximum residue limit, consider testing that sample individually from the start.

This article gives a brief introduction to DNA testing for those who wonder how it works.

At Analytica Laboratories, we have processed a large number of honey samples for C4 sugars over the past three years and have found a set of recurring questions that are asked when a test result comes back near to or over the threshold level of 7% C4 sugars. In this article, I will endeavour to answer these commonly asked questions and shed some light on current research and methodology to identify genuine sugar adulteration in mānuka honey.

Many beekeepers and processors have had to deal with fermenting honey in the past. It is caused by naturally occurring yeasts growing in the honey, and high moisture content is a key risk factor which makes fermentation more likely. This article describes why honey ferments, and provides some ideas about how to manage the risk of it happening.

The C4 sugar test is a general qualification procedure for marketed honey. Current standards limit the amount of C4 sugars in honey to 7%. Most floral types of honey produce stable C4 sugar test results over the period of their shelf life. High-quality mānuka honeys were shown to inflate their C4 sugar content when stored, whereby significantly devaluing the product. This effect is exacerbated by the practice of ‘ripening’ fresh honeys, especially by heating. We at Analytica did a thorough investigation on that phenomenon and came up with a kinetic model, which reliably forecasts the change in apparent C4 sugar in mānuka honeys.

Recent honey adulteration scandals in Australia around addition of C3 rice and beet syrups used to stretch honey yields remind us that the honey industry is only as good as its lowest common denominator. If we play the game well, we all win. If some of us go ‘rogue’, then the entire industry will suffer. It only takes a few rotten apples.

The single most common lab test requested for mānuka honey is the ‘3-in-1’ test, which measures concentrations of DHA, MGO, and HMF in honey. This article provides a brief history of testing the grade of mānuka honey. It describes how DHA and MGO test results change over time, and how they are used to help with grading and valuing of honey.