Authenticity, origin & quality
The rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry metabolite fingerprint of Leptospermum honey is strongly associated with geographic origin
Authors: Alastair B. Ross; Terry J. Braggins
PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY
The study measured 34 New Zealand and 35 Australian retail honeys labelled mānuka, manuka or tea tree using laser-assisted rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry in positive and negative ionisation modes. Country of origin was strongly reflected in the measured fingerprints, and more than half of detected features differed between the two sample groups.
Reported result
More than 50% of detected REIMS features differed between the New Zealand and Australian samples, while combined negative-mode features correlated with current mānuka quality markers at r² greater than 0.9.
Study design
analytical
Authenticity, origin and quality
Tested material
Thirty-four New Zealand and thirty-five Australian retail Leptospermum honeys labelled mānuka, manuka or tea tree; no The 3 Beez product was tested.
Limitations
The publisher abstract states no separate limitation. The sample comprised 69 retail-labelled honeys from two countries, independent external validation is not reported in the abstract, and the publisher states that the authors do not have permission to share the data.
Funding & conflicts
The indexed publisher DOI record did not expose a funding or competing-interest statement, so these fields remain unverified. The publisher record states that the authors do not have permission to share the data.
Applicability guardrail
The observed fingerprints apply to the sampled honeys and do not by themselves authenticate every New Zealand or Australian product, certify regulatory compliance, or establish a health effect.
Scientific reference
Alastair B. Ross; Terry J. Braggins (2023). The rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry metabolite fingerprint of Leptospermum honey is strongly associated with geographic origin. Food Chemistry Advances. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focha.2023.100414
Editorial record
Responsible publisher: Manuka Drops Limited. Record updated: 2026-08-28. Retraction check recorded: 2026-08-27. Retraction status: checked-no-retraction-signal. Editorial status: verified. Read the methodology.
Continue through quality and certification
This pathway concerns authenticity, measured composition, certification, grade, freshness, storage, origin and sensory profile. It is not a medical recommendation.