Five out of every six jars of honey labelled “Manuka” are fake.

This has been inferred from the total amount produced of 1,700 tons and the amount of 10,000 tons sold worldwide, 1,800 in the UK alone.

Manuka is a dark, viscous honey produced mainly in New Zealand by bees feeding on the flowers of the manuka or tea tree. It commands a high price of up to £25 a jar for its perceived medicinal properties, hence the high incidence of counterfeiting, and shoplifting.