Publications

A review of hundreds of honey samples tested between August 2017 and February 2018 provides an indication of the impact that the new MPI mānuka honey definition will have.

Composite testing is a popular and affordable way of confirming that tutin concentration in honey samples meets MPI requirements. We have reviewed results for all tutin composite samples tested at Analytica in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Eighty-seven percent of these samples had low results, meaning that all the individual samples in those composites were below 0.7 mg/kg of tutin. About 13% had composite results that required a re-test of individual samples.

C4 sugar analysis of honey is an internationally recognised way of testing whether the honey has been adulterated with other sugars.

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.