Understanding the MPI 5 Attributes

MPI Manuka Chemical Markers

These are naturally occurring compounds found in mānuka honey, that MPI have chosen to use to confirm that a honey contains sufficient mānuka nectar to be labelled as mānuka honey.  There are minimum amounts of each of 4 chemical markers needed for honey to be labelled as monofloral mānuka or multifloral mānuka honey.

Analytica's MPI Manuka Chemical Marker test includes all 4 markers for one price.

The compounds are as follows:

MPI Manuka Pollen DNA Test

This test confirms that there is sufficient pollen from the mānuka plant in the honey for it to be regarded as mānuka honey, by extracting the DNA from pollen in the sample and then testing it to identify whether it includes mānuka pollen.  There is a minimum result required from the test for the honey to be labelled as monofloral mānuka or multifloral mānuka honey.

The MPI Mānuka DNA Pollen test is able to be carried out using the same sample used for other tests, but it is a separate test to the MPI Chemical Marker Test.

For a honey to pass as a monofloral mānuka or a multifloral mānuka it must pass the minimum requirements for all 5 attributes. If the honey fails one or more of the requirements it cannot be classified as a monofloral mānuka or multifloral mānuka honey.

For more information on MPI’s mānuka labelling requirements, and the science programme they have undertaken when developing them, visit their website via this link. 

HOW DOES ANALYTICA CONDUCT THE TEST?

MPI Mānuka Chemical Marker test – following sample preparation, analysis is carried out by UPLC with diode array detection and UPLC-MS/MS.

MPI Mānuka DNA Pollen test – after extracting DNA from the pollen, PCR is used to amplify target regions using a proprietary testing kit approved by MPI.