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Technology to determine the authenticity of Manuka honey

Technology to determine the authenticity of Manuka honey

One of the biggest problems for the Manuka honey industry has been the fraudulent labeling of Manuka honey particularly in jurisdictions outside New Zealand where thousands of tonnes of honey has been sold as Manuka honey by unscrupulous vendors. Honey which contains little or no Manuka flower nectar.

This symposium will address factors which can identify and authenticate genuine Manuka honey so that tests can be developed to drive the fraudulent practices out of the market.

The article appears below:

Using the latest science, the UMF Honey Association can now classify what is genuine Manuka Honey. This announcement follows four years of industry commitment and research using the lasted technology.

Details

Ø Leading international experts will converge at the symposium to showcase the latest science behind Manuka Honey.

Ø The ‘This is Manuka Honey’ symposium which is being held in Auckland on Tuesday 9 August has attracted widespread international interest.

Ø The research is New Zealand-based and internationally recognised and has been IP protected.

Ø Leading scientific figures from Australia, UK and Japan will speak at the event which is also being attended by a delegation from China’s JSCIQ.

Ø With its unique properties, Manuka Honey (Leptospermum scoparium) has become one of the most researched honeys in the world.

Ø The UMF Honey Association has a world-leading science programme and international partnerships in place whose primary focus is on identifying the unique signature compounds of genuine Manuka Honey and protecting this important New Zealand product.

Ø The symposium, is the result of an independent and internationally supported research project that will support the UMF quality mark.

Ø Speakers include:

o Professor Yoji Kato, Principal Investigator, University of Hyogo, Japan, RINZ Japan - Discovery and Quantification of Leptosperin as a Unique Component of Manuka Honey

o Dr Adrian Charlton, Principal Scientist, FERA, UK - Statistical Analysis of Metabolite Data for the Determination of Manuka Honey Authenticity

o Professor Stephan Schwarzinger, University of Bayreuth, CEO ALNuMED Germany - Differentiating Manuka and Kanuka Honey/Nectar by NMR

o Dr Peter Brooks, Chemistry Senior Lecturer, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia - The Chromatographic Fingerprints of Australian and New Zealand Honeys

o Tony Wright, General Manager Technical, Comvita New Zealand Limited - The Evolution of UMF

o Dr Terry Braggins, Executive Director, Analytica Laboratories - A New Chemical Method to Authenticate Mānuka Honey

o Jonathan Stephens, Senior Research Manager, Comvita Innovation - Robust Classifications of Foodstuffs - Natural Ingredient to Product

o Dr Merilyn Manley-Harris, Associate Professor, School of Science University of Waikato - Kinetics of Conversion of DHA to MGO in New Zealand Manuka Honey

o Dr Kiri McComb, Director for Innovation, Research and Development, Oritain Group Limited - Different Analytical Techniques to Distinguish Honey

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