A Comparison between Honeymark and Wedderspoon Manuka Honey

With the lack of regulatory oversight and the uncertainty of various rating systems, consumers want to know the truth about the quality and potency of the Manuka honey they are buying and using as a natural healing agent.

When it comes to promoting good health, the price of natural products is usually not an issue. However, the variation of pricing for different brands of Manuka honey has consumers wondering what the difference is. Why are some Manuka honeys more expensive than others? Because of its incomparable healing potential and its lack of abundance, Manuka honey has become an expensive commodity over the past few years. Promulgated by celebrity doctors such as Dr. Oz and Dr. Mercola, it has become an extremely popular natural alternative to traditional forms of medicine.

At this point, the global demand for Manuka honey far exceeds the supply. When this kind of supply and demand situation occurs, not only does the cost of the commodity increase, but a black market can also develop. The National Beekeepers Association of New Zealand has recently announced that there is more Manuka honey being sold worldwide than there is being harvested. This suggests that some unscrupulous suppliers are either blending Manuka honey with less expensive honeys or mislabeling ordinary honey as Manuka honey.

Another way some suppliers of Manuka honey are increasing their profitability is by lying about the phytochemical and antibacterial potency of their honey. For example, the non-peroxide activity of Manuka honey is generally indicated on the label by a number. Scientific research suggests that Manuka honey must have a non-peroxide activity level of 10 or higher to be considered bioactive and suitable for therapeutic use. A Non-peroxide level less than 10 is considered to be inactive and does not have the potency required to yield medicinal efficacy. The higher the non-peroxide activity, the higher the antibacterial potency and also the higher the price.

Recent laboratory analyses show that Wedderspoon Manuka honey has a lower potency level than is advertised on the label. An independent lab report performed on a jar of Wedderspoon Manuka Honey labeled as Active 12+ revealed that it had a non-peroxide activity of less than 4.1 and a jar of Wedderspoon Manuka honey labeled as Active 16+ was really 4.6. Not only do these reports show that the potency level of Wedderspoon’s Manuka honey did not match the number listed on the label, it also confirms that Wedderspoon’s Manuka honey is inactive. The same type of laboratory analysis shows Honeymark brand Manuka honey labeled as Active 10+ had a non-peroxide activity of 10.1 and another jar of Honeymark Manuka honey labeled as Active 16+ had a non-peroxide activity of 16.

Some people think that only UMF rated Manuka honey contains bioactive properties. This is untrue. Certain acronyms such as UMF, MGO, etc. are just registered trademarks owned by private companies that have a vested interest in their trademark. Unfortunately, the New Zealand government does not regulate the Manuka honey industry and neither does the U.S. FDA. The only way to ensure a particular batch of Manuka honey has a non-peroxide activity of 10 or higher is to perform a laboratory analysis to measure these phytochemical levels. “If a customer were to ask Wedderspoon to provide the lab report of their Manuka honey, they most likely would refuse,” says Frank W. Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. “We would be willing to send our third-party lab reports that show the potency levels of each batch of Manuka honey that we import from New Zealand.”

Buonanotte says that customers have called his office stating that they had tried using Wedderspoon Manuka honey for certain health conditions but experienced no results. He attributes the low potency level of their product for the lack of effectiveness. Buonanotte also states that Honeymark offers a money back guarantee on all products which he feels is the best policy to ensure product efficacy. We were not able to find a money back guarantee on Wedderspoon’s website.