Health News

New Zealand beekeepers and locals alike have always known that some Manuka honeys were good for healing wounds and for upset stomachs, but they needed scientific evidence to get the rest of the world to take note. This is where Professor Peter Molan of New Zealand’s University of Waikato stepped in. Molan is the scientist who can be credited with devising a testing method to prove its actions, and then singing the scientific praises of Manuka honey to the world. He developed a reliable test that is able to identify the different activity levels in honey. He noted that while most honey tested positive for hydrogen peroxide activity, some Manuka was high in non peroxide activity. This was the honey that was special because of its anti bacterial properties. But even within this group, the level of activity varied. Further tests revealed that the higher the non-hydrogen peroxide activity, the more powerful the honey.

Molan coined this special level of anti bacterial activity, the ‘Unique Manuka Factor’ (UMF^® ) , and this referencing is now consistently used to indicate the honey’s unique antibacterial activity and levels. The acronym 'UMF^®'  is followed by a number that indicates the strength of the UMF^® antibacterial property in a batch, for example, UMF^®  10+. This number comes from a standard laboratory test for antibacterial activity, with the honey being compared to the medical antiseptic, phenol, for potency. Therefore, the activity rating of a UMF^®  10+ honey would be equivalent in antiseptic potency to a 10% solution of phenol.