Over the past few years, manuka honey from New Zealand has earned a reputation as a bit of a wonder treatment.
Help get the Beekeeping Merit Badge Reinstated
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Help get the Beekeeping Merit Badge Reinstated
Support Boy Scout Christopher Stowell in his quest to get the beekeeping merit badge reinstated.
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It is correct that not everyone needs to most expensive manuka honey. For many people, a UMF10+ for example will be sufficient. The stronger ones (higher antibacterial levels eg UMF25+) that are more expensive are really only needed by those with more severe cases of digestive problems etc.
The UMF mark is a measure of the actual antibacterial properties in a batch of honey, and this is what is relevant to consumers, as they take the honey for its antibacterial properties. The level of methylglyoxal does not necessarily relate to the antibacterial potency of the honey.
Consumers should also be aware that the people behind the MGO label were formerly using the UMF mark, and never complained about it before, but only since there permission to use the UMF mark was terminated due to not being of sufficient quality have they turned to promoting MGO.
As opposed to being a claim by one producer, the UMF system is an industry agreed system, and is there to act as a consumer assurance of quality, not to promote any one brand of manuka honey.