Frequently Asked Questions
Orders & Shipping
HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY ORDER?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit and debit cards for your convenience. If checking out in AUD$, you can also use Shop Pay, ApplePay, Google Pay, Klarna and AfterPay.
CAN I TRACK MY ORDER?
Yes, you can! After placing the order you will receive an order confirmation via email. Each order gets processed on the same day or the day after you place it. We offer same day dispatch if orders are placed before 2pm AEST. You will receive an expected delivery date. When the order ships, you will receive another email with the tracking number and a link to track the order online with the carrier.
HOW LONG WILL ORDER DELIVERY TAKE?
Delivery times will depend on your location and courier providers. We offer same day dispatch for orders placed before 2pm AEST. Within Australia, shipping to VIC, NSW & QLD normally takes 2–3 business days, while other states can take up to 5–7 business days. Within USA, it usually takes around 7 business days. You can find more information on our Shipping Policy page.
DO YOU SHIP TO MY COUNTRY?
We ship worldwide but due to quarantine or customs reasons we cannot ship to the following States and Countries: Western Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, Island Regions, Africa, China, Thailand, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.
HOW CAN I CHANGE SOMETHING IN MY ORDER?
If you need to change something your order, please contact us immediately on hello@biosota.com. Once payment is confirmed your order will be packaged. We usually process orders within 2-4 hours, and once we have processed your order, we will be unable to make any changes.
CAN I RETURN AN ITEM?
Please choose carefully as refunds, replacements, and returns do not apply for change of mind reasons, on international purchases, or to resellers. For all international orders, the onus is on you to check any customs clearance and import duties that may apply for your country before placing your order. For more information about shipping, please go to our Shipping Policy page.
DO I NEED AN ACCOUNT AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
It's not required to create an account. But, having an account provides easier checkout and the ability to earn points and get rewarded for your purchases. To find out more, check out our Manuka Squad page.
Choosing the Best Manuka Honey for Your Needs
WHAT IS MANUKA HONEY USED FOR?
Our honey goes a long way in helping to relieve, soothe, cleanse and support healing of various ailments such as skin wounds, sunburn, facial cold sores, digestion, cough and cold symptoms. Not to mention, Manuka honey has been proven to improve the gut microbial balance and also includes antimicrobial and antiseptic properties that can decrease healing time.
For more information on Manuka honey usage see here or if you're interested in Manuka honey for medicinal use, check out this page.
Not sure which Manuka honey is best for you? Take our quiz!
WHAT MGO LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
This depends on what you intend to use it for. Our high-grade MGO range is ideally suited for medicinal use like digestive and skin health, treating cough and sore throat. Its powerful antibacterial potency makes it ideal for treating wounds and fighting infections.
If you need help selecting the best Manuka honey for your needs, try our quiz, or check out the table on our Manuka guide page.
HOW TO USE MANUKA HONEY?
Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning any treatment and if symptoms persist. Dosage and individual results may vary.
ORAL USE DOSAGE:
Medicinal Strength Use: ingest one to two teaspoons up to twice daily, gradually reducing to one teaspoon per day as symptoms improve.
Everyday Strength Use: enjoy one teaspoon a day in warm water, added to smoothies, bowls, and no-bake recipes, or enjoy on its own for ongoing probiotic support to build immunity and to maintain greater health.
TOPICAL USE DOSAGE:
Medicinal Strength Use: apply liberally to affected areas. Cover with a clean and sterile dressing: bandage, gauze, or compress. Leave overnight and change the dressing when saturated, or as needed.
Everyday Strength Use: apply directly to skin. For a less sticky solution, dilute with warm water, lotion or essential oil.
CAN PEOPLE WITH DIABETES CONSUME HIGH MGO MANUKA HONEY?
Generally, yes. Manuka honey has proven to be great for cleaning up the ulcers that result from diabetes. Honey, in general, has a low GI so can be used to assist with diabetes, however, please consult your doctor for specific advice.
About Manuka Honey
WHY IS BIOSOTA MANUKA HONEY LIQUID, RATHER THAN CREAMY?
Congratulations — you’ve discovered one of the most unique properties of our exclusive Manuka honey. Because the climate in Australia is warmer and better-suited for Manuka trees, we can harvest our honey directly from the hive to the bottle, without any artificial processing.
In comparison to New Zealand Manuka, the colder climate presents a more hostile environment for making honey and requires a creaming and conditioning process to remove the excess crystallization that comes with colder temperatures.
CAN BIOSOTA MANUKA HONEY STILL BE GRAINY OR CRYSTALISED AND WHY?
Yes, absolutely! Because all Biosota Manuka honey is pure raw honey, and exclusively cold-extracted, you may see some naturally-occurring crystallisation in your honey. Crystallisation happens due to the naturally occurring glucose in the honey being less soluble than the naturally occurring fructose. It then starts to form crystals within the honey. If you’ve only ever experienced commercially-produced honey, this may be new to you. At Biosota, we hand-harvest all of our Manuka honey in its purest state, hive by hive, so some textural variety can be expected due to time, temperature, or even the mood of the bees that month.
For more information on Manuka honey consistency and storage, check out this article.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT BIOSOTA MANUKA HONEY IS AUTHENTIC?
We track our honey from hive to jar, to ensure its potency, purity, and quality because knowing exactly what is in each jar is part of the Biosota difference. Every batch of Biosota Manuka honey is passionately tested in two independent laboratories for its MGO levels. You can find these lab reports on individual product pages, otherwise if not listed, please feel free to email us on hello@biosota.com and we will happily send you the latest report.
WHAT MAKES BIOSOTA MANUKA HONEY UNIQUE?
The bees have to arrive just as the Leptospermum (Manuka) plants start to flower with empty honey frames to prevent honey from mixing in from the previous site. Our beekeepers pick our locations so that the local Leptospermum species is the dominant flowering plant and has nectar high in the precursor to the anti-microbial activity (dihydroxyacetone). The particular Leptospermum species varies based on location and time of year, contributing to the biodiversity in our products.
Once collected, the honey is stored to allow the precursor (dihydroxyacetone) to mature and change into the compound (methylglyoxal) that contributes to the anti-microbial activity.
WHAT QUALIFIES HONEY AS ORGANIC?
Honey can be labeled as organic if it is produced using organic farming practices. This means that the bees producing the honey have access to pesticide-free plants and flowers that have not been treated with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals. In addition, the beekeepers must also follow organic standards, such as not using antibiotics on the bees, using natural beekeeping methods, and not using any chemicals in the honey processing.
Organic honey is typically produced by small-scale beekeepers who use sustainable and environmentally friendly methods to manage their hives. It is also usually free from additives, such as sugar or artificial flavors. Organic certification is often done by third-party organizations like Australian Certified Organic (ACO) to ensure that the honey meets certain standards and has been produced in an environmentally responsible way.
IS YOUR MANUKA HONEY MONOFLORAL?
Yes, our medicinal Manuka honey grades, specifically MGO 260+ and higher, are categorised as monoflora Manuka honey.
Australian monofloral Manuka requires over 50% of the nectar to be derived from a single floral source, Manuka nectar.
We carefully select the placement of our hives and the exact time of year they’re positioned to ensure they take full advantage of the short 2-6 week flowering seasons of these rare Manuka species that produce the highest medical grade honey in the world.
Our unblended, organic Manuka honey is wild-foraged by our bees over a 5km radius, nestled deep in the Australian bush, state rainforests, and national parks, where multiple high bioactivity Manuka plant species bloom simultaneously (namely Leptospermum Whitei, Leptospermum Polygalifolium, and Leptospermum Liversidgei).
Manuka honey with such high concentrations of active antibacterial MGO is considered a strong indicator of its monofloral origins. We regularly undertake independent laboratory analysis to test the authenticity and concentration of our Manuka honey.
HOW DOES BIOSOTA ORGANICS ACHIEVE SUCH HIGH GRADES OF MANUKA HONEY?
We carefully select the placement of our hives and the exact time of year they’re positioned to ensure they take full advantage of the short flowering season of the rare species of Manuka that produces the highest medicinal grade honey in the world.
Achieving the high activity levels of MGO in our limited edition, rare and medicinal Manuka honey grades depends on three primary factors: the Manuka flower species and plant maturity; optimal climate and growing conditions (sun, wind and rain), and the production and storage process.
Manuka honey must mature for 12 - 24 months following harvest and it is essential to do so at the right temperature. Maximum maturity of Manuka honey is accomplished when dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a precursor chemical compound present in the nectar of Manuka flowers to varying degrees, converts to MGO. When the ratio becomes 1:1, the MGO has completed aging.
WHAT GIVES MANUKA HONEY ITS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES?
Medicinal Manuka honey is defined as high-grade MGO Manuka honey that is scientifically tested for its curative compounds such as antioxidants, bioflavonoids and immune boosting enzymes.
This honey presents higher levels of MGO (Methylglyoxal) when compared to table-grade Manuka honey and is naturally bio-active with anti-bacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties for the holistic prevention and treatment of various health ailments.
Commonly known uses include burns, wounds, antibiotic-resistant infections, ulcers, gut health, colds & flu, sore throats, and coughs, to build immunity, and for general wellbeing.
The higher the MGO number of the Manuka Honey, the stronger its antimicrobial bioactivity levels and the more potent the natural medicinal benefits.
WHAT IS MGO?
MGO is short for Methylglyoxal – a naturally occurring compound of authentic Manuka honey. Leading Australian research has shown that MGO is a globally recognised and accurate unit of measurement of Manuka honey. For more information, check out our Manuka guide and this article.
WHAT IS NPA?
Non-peroxide activity (NPA) represents the level of activity and the Unique Leptospermum Factor (ULF) measures it. NPA is also measured in New Zealand, while ULF is the Australian equivalent to the New Zealand UMF rating system. They are both used globally, so may sound familiar and are often used at the same time or interchangeably. You can read more about NPA in this article.
WHAT IS TOTAL ACTIVITY FACTOR OF MANUKA HONEY?
Manuka honey is generally not measured by Total Activity (TA) as the Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA/ULF) and Methylglyoxal (MGO) provide a result more indicative of the activity in the honey.
Total Activity measures the total antimicrobial activity of honey using a phenol equivalent test. This test compares the antimicrobial activity of honey with phenol, a medically used antimicrobial. From this, a TA 10+ honey is comparable to a 10% phenol solution.
Non Peroxide Activity is similar to Total Activity, but the naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide is neutralised in the honey, so only the non-peroxide antimicrobial activity is measured. Once the hydrogen peroxide is neutralised, the non-peroxide antimicrobial activity is compared with phenol so that an NPA 10+ honey has a similar antimicrobial activity to a 10% phenol solution.
Methylglyoxal (MGO) is the concentration of the compound MGO in the honey. The MGO is measured directly using scientific instruments. Researchers have found a strong correlation between MGO and NPA, enabling the calculation of NPA from the measured MGO. Using this correlation, an MGO of 263 is equivalent to NPA 10+ or a 10% phenol solution. Due to this correlation and ease of measuring MGO, most Manuka honey has their MGO measured, and NPA calculated.
The TA is a combination of the hydrogen peroxide activity and the non-peroxide activity. In honey with no or little non-peroxide activity like Jarrah, hydrogen peroxide contributes the most to the observed activity. In Manuka honey with a large amount of non-peroxide activity, MGO contributes the most to the observed activity. A further consideration is that the hydrogen peroxide in honey is not stable and varies with temperature, light and time to a much greater extent than MGO.
Therefore though TA can be used to measure Manuka honey, MGO/NPA provides a more consistent and stable indication of the activity in the honey.
HOW IS MANUKA HONEY'S BIO-ACTIVITY AFFECTED BY NATURAL CHANGES?
Our testing laboratories have tested numerous honey's bio-activity over time and have not noted any significant effect from the natural crystallisation process on the bio-activity as long as the honey is well mixed before use.
The antimicrobial activity does degrade with time due to the ongoing chemical reactions that occur as the honey matures. Generally, however, If the honey is stored in the dark at 20°C (68°F) it will maintain the tested MGO levels for at least 5 years, as the honey continues to increase in MGO after packing to reach its peak before it starts to decrease.
HOW DO STORAGE TEMPERATURES DURING THE SHIPPING PROCESS AFFECT MANUKA HONEY?
While we recommend that Manuka honey be stored long-term below 20°C (68°F) to maintain optimal MGO (Methylglyoxal) bioactivity levels, short-term storage at higher temperatures, such as during shipping transit times, won't affect the quality or efficacy of the Manuka honey.
Manuka Squad
WHAT IS MANUKA SQUAD?
Biosota's Manuka Squad is a loyalty program that gives our customers access to exclusive perks, attractive discounts, and a fun way to engage every time you log in to our store. For more details and related FAQs, please check out Manuka Squad page.