Customer Question:
Hi, I just bought a jar of your honey. My wife and I love the honey and will continue to buy it, but I’m curious…why is your honey not UMFHA-certified?
Bees & Trees Answer:
Thank you for ordering from us. In order to use the UMF trademark and to be certified by the UMFHA, a producer must be a member of the UMFHA. We made the decision a long time ago not to join the UMFHA. It is expensive for a smaller producer like us, so we simply use the actual amount of methylglyoxal (abbreviated MG) on our labels. We also don’t like the industry dynamic around the UMF association, whereby one large company — Comvita, tends to have an outsized influence on the agenda and priorities of this group.
Our quality control, testing (3rd party test reports available on our product pages), and assurances around the authenticity and place of origin of our honey (Fernmark Registration), our Glyphosate Free Certification, and our GenuHoney Certification here in the US market far exceed the efforts of most UMF members. We're glad the UMFHA exists, and we tell consumers to make sure they either get an MG/MGO labeled honey (like ours) or a UMF honey and make sure it says UMF. The brands that use confusing and deceiving labeling practices don’t do either.
We strive to provide a very high-quality Manuka honey that our consumers love and can trust. Thanks for your question.
Learn how to choose Manuka honey based on the UMF and MGO ratings in our comprehensive buying guide.
-Mike Everly (Bees & Trees Owner)
