What does TA+ mean?

 

TA stands for Total Activity which is an internationally recognised measurement of bio-activity in honey. This is similar to the UMF/MGO rating for Manuka honey, however TA ratings are a measure of both Peroxide Activity (PA) as well as Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA). UMF or MGO ratings refer to Methylglyoxal and is a measurement of only NPA found in Manuka honey.

Below is a comparison chart for TA rating to MGO/UMF:

TA Rating MGO/UMF
20+ 829
15+ 550
10+ 263 


What does all this activity mean?

The higher the TA the greater the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial strength. The anti-bacterial activity of honey is derived via natural enzymes and chemicals in the honey. Any honey with a TA greater than 10+ may have beneficial anti-microbial properties and these properties are more effective as the TA level increases.

Traditionally honey has been used to heal small wounds and minor burns, soothe sore throats, improve digestive issues and easing respiratory conditions including coughs.

 

In addition to the above, our honey can also be used to make natural beauty products which have been found to boost collagen and elastin production in skin, leading to Vogue dubbing jarrah honey a 'liquid gold'.

 

Our honey is 100% natural, with a minimum TA rating of 10+ carefully selected from apiary sites across South Western Australia.

We ensure it is of the highest quality and purity with regular and rigours testing, you can see our health certificates here.

Here is a summary explanation of our TA certificates:
  • Moisture content should be below 20% which confirms the honey was ripe when harvested and is not at risk of fermenting.
  • Fructose/glucose content should not be less than 60g per 100g. Confirms honey is sweet.
  • Sucrose content should be less than 50mg per 1000g. Confirms bees have not been fed sugar or that sugar syrup has been added.
  • Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) should be less than 80 mg/kg. HMF is used as a marker to prove the raw, uncooked nature of the honey as well as showing that the product has not been stored for an excessive period of time. Freshly extracted honey displays HMF levels lower than 5 mg/kg.
  • Electrical conductivity should be less than 1.2 ms/cm. Confirms no sugar syrup has been added to the honey.  
  • Pesticide free - tested for 374 agricultural pesticides with zero detected. Confirms bees forage and honey is indeed produced in 100% forested areas not close to farmland.  None detected
  • Antibiotic free - tested for 21 commonly used antibiotics fed to bees to keep them healthy. No antibiotics detected.
  • Bacteria free - tested for E.Coli and Coliform bacteria. None detected.
  • C4 Honey test - This test is used internationally to detect whether honey has been adulterated by adding sugar (mainly cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup).  The test reports an apparent C4 sugar content, and there is an internationally accepted limit for apparent C4 sugar content (as measured by this test) of 7%.

So when you buy from The Rare Honey Company you can rest assured you are buying a pure, real and rare honey with all the natural goodness locked in.