Warning: Fake Manuka Honey widely sold

lew99

There is a story in today's Telegraph that a lot of the manuka honey being sold in the UK doesn't have the special activity that its meant to. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10935779/Popular-with-celebrities-but-could-that-manuka-honey-in-your-cupboard-be-fake.html

It seems to come from some testing carried out by The Grocer magazine, which found 6 out of 6 jars tested did not contain the special properties. The only retailer actually mentioned with a problem jar was Holland and Barrett. So anyone who has bought Pure Gold brand from Holland and Barrett probably has cause to demand a refund.
http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/topics/manuka/

The Telegraph article doesn't exactly explain how to know you're getting a genuine manuka honey, but there is some explanation provided here:
http://www.newzealandhoneyshop.co.uk/manuka-five-top-tips.html

How can a big chain store like Holland and Barrett be getting away with selling fake products though.

Bantex_2

If you can't tell the difference, does it matter?

SpammyTheSpammer

What would we do without it?

reehsetin

doesn't surprise me - remember reading that the amount sold worldwide was far more than it was possible to produce

nomoneytoday

Thought they would need more than 6 jars for a sample?

paddyrg

nomoneytoday wrote: »

Thought they would need more than 6 jars for a sample?

No, you can disprove a rule with a single case. 6 jars isn't enough to say 'all manuka honey is genuine', nor 'all manuka honey is fake', but it is plenty to state 'not all manuka honey is genuine'.

Ectophile

reehsetin wrote: »

doesn't surprise me - remember reading that the amount sold worldwide was far more than it was possible to produce

According to several web sites http://www.bee-craft.com/manuka-honey-fraud/ there is more manuka honey sold every year in the UK than is produced in the entire World. If that's true, then it's not surprising that most of it's fake.

[Deleted User]

I swear by dr organic's makuna honey rescue cream. It rocks

forgotmyname

Maybe someone forgot to tell the bees that they can only visit one plant and not to wander off elsewhere?

Manuka and Kanuka share the same growing areas and flower at the same time so surely there will always "bee" cross contamination?