Manuka Doctor was the first product of its kind to achieve the prestigious BSI Kitemark, helping British customers trust the products they buy.
Manuka honey is made in New Zealand from the nectar of the Manuka bush which flowers for just six weeks a year. It can fetch up to £150 a jar thanks to special anti-microbial properties which makes it a target for food fraud and copies.
The Manuka Doctor brand is the only Manuka honey globally to achieve and retain the BSI the Kitemark for Food Assurance after the company has continually passed rigorous Kitemark audits carried out in New Zealand by BSI over the past three years.
As part of BSI’s growing collaboration with FERA® as a United Kingdom National Reference Laboratory, and a leading expert in the authentication of honey products, their knowledge and expertise in the area of food authenticity is essential, establishing rigorous testing protocols to support the programme.
For consumers, this demonstrates that the product has been produced through an independently inspected, audited and certificated supply chain that integrates the latest Manuka honey testing protocols to ensure Manuka Doctor can verify provenance, integrity, traceability and bee welfare.
Since 1903, the BSI Kitemark has been a beacon of quality, performance and safety to both consumers and business buying everything from Personal Protection Equipment to secure digital services. Today, the Kitemark enables food organizations to fulfil and communicate their customer promise.
Data from The Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association in New Zealand showed that more Manuka honey was sold globally than was exported from New Zealand, strongly suggesting that certain markets have issues with diluted Manuka, or honey mislabelled as Manuka when its contents may be different.
Damian Malins, Strategic & International Growth Director from Fera® York said:
“As we all seek to boost our immunity, adulterated honey sadly has become much more commonplace and the BSI Kitemark programme helps to make life that much more difficult for fraudsters, whilst protecting consumers.”
Claire Perry from Manuka Doctor said:
“When people are buying a product for their health, they want to be confident it’s the real deal. We’re proud to be the first Manuka honey brand in the world to receive Kitemark certification, it’s a reflection of the high standards we set.”
Shahm Barhom, Group Product Certification Director at BSI, said:
“Manuka honey is a premium product that commands consumer trust, and with that comes a clear need for robust assurance against fraud. The BSI Kitemark for Food Assurance provides independent verification that Manuka Doctor’s honey has met requirements for authenticity, traceability and quality. Retaining the Kitemark following a rigorous audit in New Zealand demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to transparency and best practice, giving consumers confidence that they are buying genuine Manuka honey backed by internationally recognized standards.”
Manuka Doctor has been exporting genuine Manuka honey from New Zealand to the UK for more than 10 years. Every pot is packed the country’s North Island and tested five times between the bee-hive and the final sale at independent labs both in New Zealand and the UK.
The Company’s range already meets the New Zealand Government’s export standard, which checks for the presence of four naturally occurring compounds and a DNA test to prove the honey is from New Zealand.
What makes Manuka honey unique is its high levels of the compound Methylglyoxal or MGO, which is not shown in other honeys. Manuka Doctor honey is available in strengths from 30 MGO all the way up to 1000 MGO.
You can buy direct from our website or find Manuka Doctor Honey in more than 750 branches of health-food chain Holland & Barrett in the UK and Ireland.
Customers can learn more about the Kitemark here.
