AQ Assured by AsureQuality, New Zealand's Government-owned food assurance company.
The True Honey Co. Mānuka Honey MGO1500+
PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES VERIFIED BY AQ ASSURED
- MGO1500+ / UMF28+
- Monofloral mānuka honey
- 100% natural
- New Zealand made
- Independently tested and certified
- Tamper proof recyclable packaging
Origin
Mānuka honey is known for its unique antibacterial properties, which are attributed to the presence of a naturally occurring compound called methylglyoxal (MGO).
This mānuka honey is produced by honey bees located in remote locations across the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The honey bees collect nectar from the mānuka plant (Leptospermum scoparium), which is native to New Zealand.
The True Honey Co. is certified and licensed by NZ Fernmark (License number: 100086) which verifies New Zealand as its country of origin. The Fernmark license is a formal government recognition of The True Honey Co.'s connection to New Zealand.
Supply Chain
There are systems in place throughout The True Honey Co.’s supply chain to ensure that each jar of honey meets high standards of safety and quality.
The Apiary
Apiary Assurances
- The Apiaries where the hives are located are registered with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, and comply with their annual hive inspection and reporting requirements.
- The True Honey Co. beehives meet New Zealand requirements to construct beehives with materials that are not a source of hazard to the honey.
- The mānuka honey hive boxes are transported from the apiary to the extraction factory, accompanied by signed Harvest Declarations to maintain traceability.
The Factory
All facilities that extract, store and pack the honey products operate under an approved Risk Management Programme (RMP) to ensure product quality is maintained.
Factory Assurances - Extraction
- Honey is extracted from the hive frames contained within the hive boxes and stored in secure food grade drums.
- Samples of honey are taken during the extraction process and tested by an accredited laboratory for authenticity, safety, quality and MGO level.
- Factory processes are regularly independently audited to ensure Risk Management Plan (RMP) requirements are being maintained.
Factory Assurances - Bottling
- The honey drums are transported to the bottling factory under official declaration which ensures traceability of all product.
- The mānuka honey is packed into glass jars and placed into tamper proof boxes.
- Each jar of honey is labelled with a batch number for traceability purposes.
- The final product is tested again at an independent accredited laboratory for authenticity, safety, quality and MGO level.
- Factory processes are regularly independently audited to ensure Risk Management Plan (RMP) requirements are being maintained.
Transport
The product is delivered from the factory to the appropriate distribution route via a registered transport company.
Transport Assurances
- The transport company that delivers the honey is required to have a current New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries Risk Management Programme before it can carry any True Honey Co.'s products, as per New Zealand’s Animal Products Act, 1999.
- All documentation required by the importing country must be completed and approved before it can be transported overseas.
- A final export certificate is approved for countries requiring an official assurance. This export certificate ensures traceability of the honey throughout its time in New Zealand.
Retail
This honey carries the AQ Assured brand and QR code on label for consumers to scan for more information on the safety and quality measures undertaken throughout the product supply chain.
Environmental
As part of their commitment to care for the fragile ecosystem, The True Honey Co. use helicopters to fly the hives into their environment to avoid disruption to the bees and their native bush home.
Quality
New Zealand has strict regulations and a rigorous testing and grading system in place to ensure the authenticity and quality of mānuka honey.
Mānuka Qualities
MGO stands for methylglyoxal, a naturally occurring compound found within mānuka honey. MGO is one of the compounds tested to determine the quality and purity of mānuka honey. The higher the MGO rating the more methylglyoxal in the honey.
The True Honey Co. is a member of the UMF™ Honey Association (License number 2900). UMF™ is a grading system undertaken by the more than 100 New Zealand honey producers that form the UMF™ Honey Association. This grading system requires laboratory testing for grading attributes in order to determine the UMF™ rating.
The True Honey Co. honey meets the Ministry for Primary Industries requirements for the scientific definition of mānuka honey. For honey to be labelled as mānuka it must be tested by a recognised laboratory and meet the 5 mānuka attributes (4 chemicals from nectar and 1 DNA marker from mānuka pollen).
Laboratory Testing
During the extraction process, samples of honey are sent to an accredited laboratory to be tested, then the final product is tested again for authenticity, safety, quality, methylglyoxal (MGO) and Unique Manuka Factor (UMF™).
Auditing
All The True Honey Co.'s extraction, bottling, transport and storage facilities are audited to verify the requirements of the Risk Management Programme ( RMP ).
Nutrition
This product is 100% NZ mānuka honey.
This batch of honey has been independently tested to contain at least 1500mg/kg of methylglyoxal (MGO).
This batch of honey has been independently tested to contain at least UMF™ 28+
Messages from The True Honey Co.
Welcome to True Wellness
The True Honey Co. mānuka honey is for those that understand prioritising their health isn’t indulgent, it’s a must. By taking time for a teaspoon of high grade mānuka honey everyday, you’ll pave the way for a lifetime of wellness.
