連結:神奇麥蘆卡蜂蜜盜版猖獗 紐西蘭政府推「驗證方法」(2017/04/12)
麥蘆卡蜂蜜含有一種被稱為「麥蘆卡獨特因子」(UMF,簡稱為獨麥素)的成分,傳說含有特殊療效,因此商人大肆宣傳,甚至將其註冊成商標,成立紐西蘭獨麥素認證聯盟(UMFHA),炒作起來的麥蘆卡蜂蜜在英國甚至曾經達到327英鎊一罐的天價,如此更吸引商人推出假貨,以更低的成本賺取暴利。
歷經三年的採樣,並分析了市面上超過800種蜂蜜後,紐西蘭基層產業部(MPI,New Zealand’s ministry of primary industries)正式推出驗證的科學方法,確認該蜂蜜必須含有4種化學物質和一個DNA標記,才有資格被稱為真正的麥蘆卡蜂蜜。
2013年的一份調查顯示,2013年真正麥蘆卡蜂蜜的年產量僅1700噸,但是全球以麥蘆卡蜂蜜為名銷出的蜂蜜竟然接近10倍,高達1萬噸;除了盜版蜂蜜的衝擊外,蜂巢、蜜蜂失竊,還有對蜂蜜下毒等惡意破壞的行為,仍然嚴重影響紐西蘭蜂農的生計。去年下半年,光是紐西蘭警方登記在案的蜜蜂、蜂蜜失竊相關案件就超過400起,類似的行為如果持續發生,將持續影響這種神奇蜂蜜的國際市價。
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連結:麥盧卡蜂蜜鑑定有新招 有望成行業標準(2017/05/20)
因麥盧卡蜂蜜在全球範圍內供不應求,因此越來越多的供應商開始在市場上兜售假貨,牟取暴利。現在Hills實驗室(Hills Laboratories)開發了一種新的檢驗方法,能夠更準確地讓消費者知道自己購買的產品是真是假。
從2014年開始至2016年,初級產業部(MPI)一直在為新西蘭生產的麥盧卡蜂蜜制定鑑定標準。今年4月,MPI發布了認證麥盧卡蜂蜜的科學定義,雖然該定義備受質疑,但畢竟是向認證標準化邁出的第一步。
Hill實驗室技術總經理喬諾·希爾(Jonno Hill)說,新開發的Manuka5檢驗方法衡量的是麥盧卡蜂蜜樣品的5種不同特性。新定義根據4種化學標記物和1種DNZ標記物的濃度進行檢驗。
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連結:Mānuka honey(紐西蘭MPI對麥盧卡蜂蜜的檢驗說明介紹)
Test for monofloral mānuka honey
The test for monofloral mānuka honey requires all of the 5 attributes. If the honey fails to meet 1 or more of the attributes, it is not monofloral mānuka honey – but may still pass the test for multifloral mānuka honey.
Test 1: Chemical test
The following chemicals all need to be present and at these levels:
- 3-phenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 400 mg/kg
- 2’-methoxyacetophenone at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
- 2-methoxybenzoic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
- 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
Test 2: DNA test
- DNA from mānuka pollen (DNA level required is less than Cq 36, which is approximately 3 fg/µL)
Test for multifloral mānuka honey
The test for multifloral mānuka honey requires all of the 5 attributes. If the honey fails to meet 1 or more of the attributes, it is not mānuka honey.
Test 1: Chemical test
The following chemicals all need to be present and at these levels:
- 3-phenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 20 mg/kg but less than 400 mg/kg
- 2’-methoxyacetophenone at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
- 2-methoxybenzoic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
- 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid at a level greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg
Test 2: DNA test
- DNA from mānuka pollen (DNA level required is less than Cq 36, which is approximately 3 fg/µL
Science and test documents
- Science summary report
- DNA Method
- Chemical Method
- Summary of MPI’s response to international peer review of methodology
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小編評:就是要用科學說明,讚!附上「麥蘆卡蜂蜜」相關標準資料~