Spotting counterfeit mānuka honey

Authentic mānuka honey is a small market — NZ produces around 1,700 tonnes a year. Yet jars marketed and sold globally as 'mānuka' add up to several times that volume. The math doesn't work, and the difference is mostly counterfeit or heavily-blended product. Here's how to filter.

1. Check for an MPI export certificate number

Every jar of genuine NZ mānuka honey exported from New Zealand must pass MPI's four-factor mānuka definition test, and the supplier holds a certificate number. Reputable apiaries display this on their packaging or website. No certificate, no claim.

2. UMF licence number, not just a UMF rating

Genuine UMF-marked honey shows both the rating (UMF 15+, etc.) and the UMF licensee number. A UMF rating without a licensee number is a self-claim — could be true, could be marketing.

3. Beware impossible-to-source-from-NZ pricing

Real UMF 20+ retails at NZ$280–$700 per kg depending on volume and brand markup. If you're seeing UMF 20+ on Amazon at NZ$80/kg, the math has gone wrong somewhere — likely a relabel, dilution, or a counterfeit certificate.

4. Provenance language matters

'Made in New Zealand', 'NZ-blended', and 'mānuka and other honeys' are all warning phrases. Authentic mānuka should specify 'pure mānuka' (or 'monofloral mānuka'), not blended; and the honey should be packaged in NZ, not just 'made from NZ honey'.

5. Country of origin on the rear label

By NZ law, the country of origin of the honey itself must be on the label — not just 'packaged in New Zealand'. If the jar says 'Honey: Country of origin: New Zealand' explicitly, you're on safer ground.

When buying overseas

Buying real NZ mānuka while not in NZ is harder. The most reliable channels are direct-from-apiary international shipping (most listed apiaries ship overseas) or NZ-based exporter websites that ship to your country. Avoid third-party marketplaces — that's where most of the counterfeit volume lives.