How we test our honey
Every lot we sell is sent to an independent laboratory before it is packed. The lab measures Total Activity and reports it with the lot number. This page lists what we have on file.
The test
Total Activity is measured by the University of Waikato agar well diffusion assay for antibacterial activity in honey (Allen, Molan and Reid, 1991, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 43, 817-822). The honey sample is placed in a well in an agar plate seeded with Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 9144). The zone where bacteria do not grow is measured against phenol standards, and the result is expressed as the equivalent percentage of phenol. A result of 50 means the sample's activity matched a 50 per cent phenol solution in that assay. It is a measure of the honey, not a claim about your health.
The lab
Analytica Laboratories, Ruakura Research Centre, 10 Bisley Road, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand. Analytica is part of ALS Limited. Some analyses are subcontracted to CAIQTEST (Pacific) Ltd, as stated on the reports.
Results on file
These are results for samples from the lots named, on the dates shown. They are historical test records, not a statement about which lot is in a particular jar on shelf today. If your jar shows a lot number, it tells you which row to read.
| Lot | Honey | Lab report | Report date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J333 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 51.3 |
| J235 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 48.8 |
| J327 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 46.1 |
| J323 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 45.8 |
| J219 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 43.9 |
| J239 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 42.0 |
| J322 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 37.8 |
| J332 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 33.0 |
| J328 | Jarrah | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 31.6 |
| M325 | Marri | ALS NZ 25-14706 | 3 Jun 2025 | 29.9 |
| J148 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-43184 | 8 Dec 2022 | 50.8 |
| J141 | Jarrah | Analytica 23-00213 | 18 Jan 2023 | 50.3 |
| J142 | Jarrah | Analytica 23-00213 | 18 Jan 2023 | 50.7 |
| J167 | Jarrah | Analytica 23-00213 | 18 Jan 2023 | 50.2 |
| J155 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-30223 | 26 Aug 2022 | 48.4 |
| J125 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 45.7 |
| J127 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 45.7 |
| J120 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 44.4 |
| J112 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 41.8 |
| J121 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 41.3 |
| J111 | Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 30.5 |
| M130 | Marri | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 45.7 |
| M129 | Marri | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 42.7 |
| RJ123 | Redgum/Jarrah | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 35.1 |
| R122 | Redgum | Analytica 22-19830 | 13 Jun 2022 | 32.1 |
How we grade
The grade on a Forest Fresh jar is assigned by Forest Fresh after review, not copied from the lab result alone. One example on record: lot J155 tested 48.4 at Analytica in August 2022 and Forest Fresh assigned it TA15+ after reviewing its full composition. Our selection is based on the Jarrah Factor (JF), a value calculated with a proprietary formula that uses compositional analytical data as inputs.
Glycaemic index (lot J142)
In November 2023, Sydney University's Glycemic Index Research Service tested a sample of our Jarrah Platinum honey, lot J142, using the standard method (AS 4694:2007, ISO 26642:2010). Ten healthy adults ate a portion of the honey containing 50 grams of available carbohydrate, and their blood glucose was measured over two hours against a glucose reference. The result was a glycaemic index of 46, which sits in the low GI range (under 55). The report notes that the value applies to the honey as tested and holds only while the composition and process stay the same. It is a measurement of one lot's effect on blood glucose in healthy adults. It is not a certification, and it is not a study of children, of people with diabetes, or of any health outcome.
The same lot, J142, tested at TA 50.7 in January 2023 (Analytica 23-00213) and its sugars were analysed by QSI in November 2022 (below). Report reference: Sydney University's Glycemic Index Research Service, Report #2335, November 2023. The full report is available on request to Forest Fresh, subject to the service's conditions; the appendices with participant data are not published.
Sugar composition (jarrah lots J142, J327 and J328)
In November 2022, QSI (Quality Services International, Bremen) analysed lot J142 for sugars by an accredited HPLC method: fructose 46.3, glucose 22.3, turanose 2.4, isomaltose 1.2, maltose 0.7, erlose 0.2 g per 100 g, sucrose below 0.1; fructose to glucose ratio 2.08; fructose plus glucose 68.6 g per 100 g.
In June 2025 ChemCentre (Scientific Services Division, Western Australia) analysed two more jarrah lots by HPLC. J327: fructose 43.3, glucose 27.9, maltose 3.62, sucrose 0.21 g per 100 g. J328: fructose 43.3, glucose 26.6, maltose 4.23, sucrose 0.13 g per 100 g, moisture 17.5 g per 100 g.
Fructose well above glucose is one reason jarrah honey is slow to crystallise. Honey is still sugar: lot J142 carries 68.6 g of fructose and glucose per 100 g, and these figures are not a low-sugar claim. The glycaemic index result above comes from a separate clinical test, not from these sugar figures.
Just Kids Honey
Every batch is independently tested and verified as TA10 honey. Batch reports for the sachet batches on sale are added here as they are filed.
Ask for a report
Email contact@forestfreshhoney.com.au with the details printed on your jar and we will send the report for that batch.
See also: What is Total Activity in honey, The Jarrah you can check, What does TA50+ mean on a honey jar.