Australian Wildflower explains why its Jarrah honey label stops at TA35+

Australian Wildflower says its flagship Jarrah honey is labeled TA35+ because Australian accreditation rules will not certify a higher number, even though an independent lab recorded a 53.8 Total Activity reading. The company is using the case to argue for more conservative labeling and fuller disclosure of how honey activity tests are made.

Why it matters: - Australian Wildflower is challenging a common marketing norm in active honey, where the highest printed number is often treated as the strongest quality signal. - The company is arguing that an un-certifiable figure should not be presented as a measurement, even if an internal or independent test returns it. - The issue matters to buyers who rely on labels to compare antibacterial activity, especially in premium honey categories.

What happened: - Australian Wildflower said its single-origin Jarrah honey carries a TA35+ label even though an independent laboratory recorded a Total Activity reading of 53.8 for the batch. - Founder Natalie Bussau said she chose not to print the 53.8 result because no accredited laboratory will certify that exact number. - The company said the batch tested was Jarrah, IBC CL51501, and the independent laboratory report was issued by ALS New Zealand.

The details: - The 53.8 reading came from a phenol-equivalence assay, a method that compares honey’s antibacterial activity with phenol under laboratory conditions. - In that method, a TA35 honey inhibits bacterial growth as effectively as a 35% phenol solution. - The National Measurement Institute reports only up to TA35 and classifies higher results as “greater than 35% Total Activity.” - Australian Wildflower said the assay cannot separate one very high result from another with confidence above that threshold. - The company said a published explanation on its website lays out why ratings above TA35+ cannot be scientifically certified. - Bussau said the laboratory report uses an assumed honey density based on prior experiments rather than a density measured for this batch. - Australian Wildflower said the assay was performed by a subcontracted laboratory, CAIQTEST (Pacific) Ltd. - The company said the result reflects activity against one organism, Staphylococcus aureus, on one day. - Australian Wildflower said Jarrah’s antibacterial activity is driven largely by hydrogen peroxide, which can fall with heat, light and time. - The company said a reading taken at harvest may not match the activity in a jar opened months later.

Between the lines: - Australian Wildflower is using the label decision to position itself as conservative on claims and aggressive on disclosure. - The company is betting that traceability and method transparency will matter more to customers than a higher-looking number. - That approach also helps the brand distinguish a certified result from a precise-looking figure built on assumptions, even when the underlying test is valid. - Bussau said the company wants buyers to see the lab, batch and method behind the number instead of just the headline result.

What's next: - Australian Wildflower said every batch will continue to carry a number traceable to a named laboratory. - The company said its Independent Testing Summary is available to download through its Transparency Hub. - Australian Wildflower said original signed reports are available on request. - The company said its full testing summaries are published at Transparency Hub.

The bottom line: - Australian Wildflower is choosing a certifiable TA35+ label over a higher un-certified reading, turning a lab result into a broader argument about honesty in honey marketing.