Don't get stung by fake Manuka - 40 MGO

1. Make sure it comes from New Zealand

New Zealand has a ban on importing honey, so if a honey has come from New Zealand, it must have been made there. And all pots of Manuka Honey exported from New Zealand to countries like Ireland must meet strict standards to prove it is made from nectar from the Mānuka bush.

2. Make sure it was packed in New Zealand

One way of making sure your Manuka Honey hasn’t been tampered with before it gets to the shelf in Ireland is to only buy honey that's packed in New Zealand. This means it has been sealed into a jar before leaving New Zealand, keeping it safe from adulteration.

3. Make sure the MGO rating is independently tested

When buying in Ireland, look for suppliers which test their honey in an independent laboratory. Good suppliers will even allow you to see the test certificates undertaken on your batch if you request them.

4. Make sure it is certified to the New Zealand government standard

Some honey jars are designed to look like Manuka Honey when they are not the genuine product but by reading the label carefully you can work out whether or not it is the real deal.

5. Make sure it has a Hive to Home promise

Reputable honey sellers can trace any jar of honey back to the beekeeper who harvested it because they keep records of exactly which drums of honey go into every batch they sell. When buying Manuka Honey, check that the packaging promises traceability from “hive to home” – if it doesn’t, you can’t be confident you know it’s come from a hive of real New Zealand Manuka Honey.