The real nectar of Italy!
OUR PRODUCTS
In total our range of honey consists of 7 varieties of flavours! We have 6 unique flavours, which are pure, natural and not infused: Bosco, Coriander, Lime, Chestnut, Citrus, Acacia and we have a 7th speciality blend, which is our pure Acacia honey which is blended with natural root ginger.
LOUISA’S BOSCO HONEY - TA RATING 15+
Multi award winning Louisa’s Bosco Honey, or Forest honey, is unique. Unlike other honeys that come from pollen and nectar, this particular honey comes from the dew left on the trees. It’s this unique process that Bosco is a high energy honey, the richest in minerals and enzymes, thus an excellent supplement for athletes. A malty, treacly flavour & dark colour.
LOUISA’S CHESTNUT HONEY - TA RATING 12+
Award winning Louisa’s Chestnut Honey is a very delicate but bold honey, which comes from from bees collecting nectar from Chestnut trees. Distinct, intense and persistent flavour, combination of a sweet bitterness. With touches of a smoky Woody taste. Its aroma is sharp, unusual and dark colour like chestnuts. Velvety, caramel consistency. Rich in minerals!
LOUISA’S LIME HONEY - TA RATING 10+
Award winning Louisa’s Lime Honey is produced from bees collecting nectar from lime trees as a result it has a distinctive fresh, mint like flavour & aroma, with a tantalising tangy taste of lime to it. Stunning Golden colour, toffee consistency which overtime sets into a buttery state.
LOUISA’S CITRUS HONEY - TA RATING 10+
Award winning Louisa’s Citrus Honey comes from the bees collecting nectar from various citrus fruit orchards such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits and so on. It is very light in colour with a delicate tangy taste. Floral, fruity, citrus flavours & fragrance. Rich thick texture, buried within its creamy layer are crispy, crunchy crystals!
LOUISA’S CORIANDER HONEY - TA RATING 10+
Award winning Louisa’s Coriander Honey is very special indeed. Comes from bees collecting nectar from Coriander plant. With its amber to gold colour, the flavour is a sweet floral flavour, enriched by the presence of a slightly herbal aftertaste, releasing a floral & herbal aroma. Creamy, velvety and crunchy finish on your palate.
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Total Activity
What is Total Activity?
Active honey has naturally occurring anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties and their strength and potency are measured by the term 'Total Activity" (TA)
The Total Activity (TA) score refers to the bacterial killing scale. The higher the TA rating, the stronger and more effective the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial strength the honey possesses.
Total Activity over 10+ are considered to have substantial anti-microbial properties.
The anti-bacterial activity of honey is derived via natural enzymes and chemicals in the honey.
Comparisons between TA / UMF / MGO
Our honey is tested for its bioactivity via a Total Activity or TA rating. This is similar to the UMF/MGO rating for Manuka honey; however, TA ratings are a measure of both Peroxide Activity (PA) as well as Non-Peroxide Activity (NPA).
UMF or MGO ratings refer to Methylglyoxal and is a measurement of only NPA found in Manuka honey.
Take a look at the comparison chart for TA rating to MGO/UMF:
More about Active Honey
Many honeys have a natural antibacterial activity. In historical times, honey was even used as a wound dressing.
This is measured in Total Activity (TA) units. TA is the honey’s antibacterial effect, relative to a standard disinfectant (phenol), written as a percentage. Any honey with a TA above 10 (i.e.above 10% of phenol) is considered “active”. Louisa’s Honeys have a certified TA rating: Louisa’s Bosco Honey 15+, Louisa’s Chestnut Honey 12+ and Louisa’s Lime, Coriander and Citrus all have a 10+ TA rating. By comparison, cheaper blended honeys – often made from Chinese honey harvested before maturity and then industrially dried down – have little or no Activity.
What Causes Honey Activity?
There are many different drivers of honey Activity. Any honey is a complex natural product. It is a naturally hostile environment for bacteria – it has high sugar, low water, and low pH. “Active” honeys also contain many natural components with an antibacterial effect. The main one is an enzyme, glucose oxidase. This drives the “Peroxide Activity”. There are also antioxidants, such as Vitamins A and E, natural phenols, and a specific compound called methylglyoxal (MGO). These drive the “Non Peroxide Activity”. MGO is the main driver of Activity in manuka honeys and has a distinctive, slightly medicinal, taste.
Whatever drives the Activity, the antibacterial effect is the same. The Total Activity unit gives a direct comparison between different types of honey with different antibacterial components. For example, our award-winning Bosco honey has a TA of over 15 units. A manuka honey would need an MGO grade of over 500 to achieve the same TA.