Tyagarah Apiaries - Active Honey

ACTIVE
JELLYBUSH HONEY
TESTED 16+ULF 500g Net

AUD $35.50
+ Postage

QTY:

ACTIVE
JELLYBUSH HONEY
TESTED 16+ULF 250g Net

AUD $20.50
+ Postage

QTY:

Activity Rating of Jellybush Honey

All our Active Jellybush honeys are tested at independent laboratories before packaging to ensure that high levels of hydrogen peroxide releasing enzymes and the Unique Leptospermum Factor +ULF(TM), of activity are present. Our honey is tested at DHM laboratories in New Zealand to give accurate comparisons to Manuka honey activities.

At Tyagarah Apiaries our Active and Medicinal honeys are above the 16+ range of activity as we do not mixed or diluted to standardize for activity.

Seasonal variations in colour and texture of our Jelly bush Honey can occur due to the flowering of other plant species at the same time but the activity is always guaranteed.

The ULF rating system

Please take the time to read and understand the importance of the 'ULF' rating system for Jellybush Honey. While Jellybush Honey has received increasing press coverage, often the difference between ordinary Jellybush Honey and Active Jellybush Honey is not ditinguished.

The ULF (TM) rating is an indicator as to the strength of the antibacterial effect. A rating of 10 or more is considered to be suitable for therapeutic purposes. This honey is referred to as 'active', although much ordinary Jellybush Honey is still marketed as being active despite not having the required minimal rating.

The ULF rating is your guarantee that this medicinal honey has been tested and verified for its antibacterial activity. Our honey has a minimum ULF rating of +16.

What does the word 'active' mean?

The word 'active' refers to Australian Jellybush honeys ability to kill or inhibit the growth of many bacteria and fungi. This 'Activity' or antimicrobial quality is determined by specific laboratory tests.

The two types of 'activity' of Jelly Bush honey or Leptospermum honey.

1. The Hydrogen Peroxide Activity
The first and most common form of antibacterial activity is due to the slow release of hydrogen peroxide with the help of the enzyme glucose oxidase present in honey.

There is a great variation in the hydrogen peroxide releasing ability of different honeys with some honeys being no more antibacterial than sugar. The reason for this variation is probably due to the fact that the enzyme responsible for the release of hydrogen peroxide is sensitive to both heat and light and also to other natural chemical compounds within some honeys. This enzyme can be deactivated by exposure to heat,light and natural phytochemicals and reduce the honeys ability to release hydrogen peroxide. This is why when some honeys are tested in laboratories they show no sign of hydrogen peroxide activity.

Our cold extraction methods and amber packaging assist to preserve the activity of our Jelly Bush Honey.

2. The Unique Leptospermum Factor +ULF (TM) or Non-Hydrogen Peroxide Activity

The Unique Leptospermum Factor (which relates to all species of Leptospermum plants, including Manuka) is an unidentified antibacterial property unique to the honey produced by Leptospermum plants. So far researchers world wide have not been able to identified this natural phytochemical which is responsible for this potent antimicrobial property.

The Unique Leptospermum Factor (ULF) is more stable than the antimicrobial effect of the hydrogen peroxide releasing enzymes and does not become as rapidly effected by dilution. It is therefore better suited when longer term effect is required.
This Unique Leptospermum Factor (ULF) activity has been given a strength rating from 10+ to 30+ with 30+ being the strongest available on the market.

This Unique non-hydrogen peroxide activity was first discovered in New Zealand, by Professor Peter Molan who’s research focused on manuka honeys' (Leptospermum scoparium) antibacterial effects. Professor Peter Molan coined the term Unique Manuka Factor in reference to this unknown antimicrobial effect but we now use the term Unique Leptospermum Factor in reference to the activity of many Australian Leptospermum plants found growing here.

Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is also found in many parts of southern Australia including NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

Activity of honey

Not all honey has the peroxide and non-peroxide antibacterial properties. The variability between different batches of honey can be as much as 100-fold.

In 1996 an organisation called TradeNZ, in conjunction with the Honey Research Unit, set about to establish a standard for the classification of antibacterial honey activity. This led to the creation of the New Zealand industry standard for Manuka strength and activity which was termed the Unique Manuka Factor.

This standard does not take into account active honey from other Leptospermum plants.

Australia has 83 species of Leptospermums with 5 species already identified as producing active Jelly Bush Honey (Leptospermum Honey).

We decided to develop and use the term +ULF(TM) - Unique Leptospermum Factor as a activity rating to represent and symbolize not only the non hydrogen peroxide activity of New Zealand Manuka but also for all the Leptospermum plants that are found active in New Zealand and Australia.