NHF The Native Honey Factor
World class honey CERTIFICATION
Given by nature, proven by science
CHILEAN NATIVE HONEY FACTOR
NHF is a certification that gives value to honey according to multiple factors; its properties and native flora origin, where it is produced and whether it contributes to the local development of beekeepers and the preservation of the native forests of the country.
Chile has temperate forests with a diversity of species that are unique in the world.
Research has led us to discover that some of these unique species provide us with honey with high natural antibacterial levels and unique flavors.
Not all honeys are the same!
NHF Scientific basis
How NHF was born
NHF is the first seal created in Chile, which guarantees honey properties. Developed between 2015 and 2018 in conjunction with Gloria Montenegro, a scientist of great international prestige in the study of native plants and honey.
The development of the certification in its first stage was carried out taking into account the analysis of the compounds and the properties of the honey, based on more than 30 years of research and more than 500 types of honey from all over the world.
The measurement parameters and protocols for graduation were created based on these results.
NHF guarantees the honey’s properties and origin
ensuring its production in the purest places on our planet !
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Levels of phenolic compounds and hydrogen peroxide, directly reflected in the bioactivity of honey.
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Certified botanical origin of native flora.
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Production of bees living in isolated native forests, without any kind of pollutants
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Products with the highest manufacturing standards.
NHF Selects the best native honeys, which are then analyzed in laboratories, measuring their bio activity
The methodology consists of measuring the antibacterial capacity of the honey against four types of bacteria (known to give rise to a large number of diseases and infections in human
beings)
* Streptococcus pyogenes
* Straphylococcus aureus
* Escherichia coli
* Pseudomona aeruginosa
So as to certify the results this measurement is done in vitro in specialized microbiological laboratories.
Escherichia coli: Gram-negative enterobacteria is generally found in animal intestines. Yet, since it is an ubiquitous organism It can be found in many different places. It can cause intestinal and extra-intestinal infections, such as infections of the excretory system, urinary tract, cystitis, meningitis, peritonitis, mastitis, septicemia and pneumonia.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa : This is a Gram-negative, opportunistic bacterium in immunocompromised humans. It infects the pulmonary tract, urinary tract, tissues, wounds and also causes blood infections. Cystic fibrosis, dermatitis, high fever and folliculitis are some of the diseases caused by this bacterium.
Staphylococcus aureus: It is a Gram-positive bacterium, which is widely distributed all over the world. It can produce a large number of diseases, from folliculitis and conjunctivitis to life-threatening diseases such as osteomyelitis, meningitis, sepsis, endocarditis, or pneumonia. Currently, it is one of the main causes of in-hospital illnesses.
Streptococcus pyogenes : It is a Gram-positive bacterium. This microorganism is the most common cause of bacterial pharyngitis, skin infections, toxic shock syndrome, rheumatic fever and scarlet fever, among others. It is also a highly sensitive bacterium to penicillin.
NHF offers different graduations
The values of the seal consist of 4 graduations for honeys: 5+, 10+, 15+ and 20+.
The higher the number, the higher the antibacterial level of the honey (higher amount of phenolic compounds and hydrogen peroxide).
Reference: penicillin is in the range 10+ upwards.
All the honeys with NHF stamp have a traceability that allows to identify the location of the hives.
The NHF seal is also used on medicinal products for topical use.
One example is the Universidad de la Frontera (UFRO) in Chile, which since 2011, has developed clinical studies of patients with chronic wounds, treating them with this type of honey previously certified and sterilized.
After 8 years of research, an osmolar dressing was created based on ULMO honey (NHF grade), with surprising results in the healing of venous ulcers, diabetic feet and burns.