Malaysian Stingless Bee Honey · Certified Quality

Certifying quality you can trust.

UKF™ — the Unique Kelulut Factor — is a science-backed grading and certification standard that independently verifies the bioactive quality of Malaysian kelulut honey, batch by batch.

Email us to apply What is UKF

What is UKF™

A single number for genuine kelulut quality.

Kelulut (stingless bee) honey has remarkable science behind it — but until now, no trusted language to express it. UKF™ gives consumers, healthcare professionals and regulators one simple, verified number that reflects a honey's true bioactive quality.

Modelled on New Zealand's landmark UMF™ system for Manuka honey, UKF is anchored in trehalulose — the rare, low-GI sugar that defines the unique composition of stingless bee honey — supported by freshness, phenolic and antioxidant markers. A honey earns its grade only when it qualifies across every marker, not just one.

The result is a mark you can trust on the shelf, and a standard producers can build a premium around.

The name, decoded

U · K · F

Unique Kelulut Factor

UUnique — the unique composition of stingless bee honey, defined by its signature sugar, trehalulose.

KKelulut — the Malay name for stingless bee honey. Grounds the standard in Malaysian identity.

FFactor — the factors that determine a good, authentic, quality honey, expressed simply as UKF 10+ through 30+.

The UKF™ Assurance

What the mark guarantees.

Every batch carrying the UKF mark has been independently tested and verified to be:

✓

Authentic kelulut honey

Verified by trehalulose — the unique biomarker of genuine stingless bee honey. No mislabelling, no dilution.

✓

Fresh & gently handled

Low HMF confirms the honey has not been overheated or over-aged — the published evidence that every processing step was done gently.

✓

Rich in antioxidants

Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity measured and graded — proof of real bioactive potency.

✓

Pure & unadulterated

Screened for added sugars, syrups and adulterants against the MS 2683:2025 baseline.

✓

Independently graded

Tested by accredited laboratories — not the producer — so the number on the label is one you can trust.

The Science

Four biomarkers. One trusted factor.

UKF is not a single-compound score. Like UMF's multi-factor test, it verifies quality across four measurable biomarkers — each with scientific precedent in the kelulut literature and Malaysia's MS 2683:2025 standard. The grade is set by the lowest qualifying tier, so a honey must excel across the board.

Biomarker	What it measures	Test method	Why it matters
Trehalulose	Authenticity + low-GI value	HPLC Sugar Analysis	The signature sugar of stingless bee honey — like Leptosperin for Manuka, it uniquely identifies genuine kelulut, and is a low-GI disaccharide with distinct value.
HMF	Freshness & purity	HPLC / Spectrophotometry	Low hydroxymethylfurfural confirms honey has not been overheated, over-aged or adulterated. A vital freshness and quality safeguard.
Total Phenolic Content	Antioxidant richness	Folin–Ciocalteu (mg GAE)	Higher TPC means a greater antioxidant load. Extends MS 2683:2025 with a graded quantity threshold.
Antioxidant Capacity	Bioactive potency	FRAP / DPPH Assay	A direct measure of radical-scavenging ability that corroborates TPC and confirms biological activity.

Trehalulose anchors the system as the "Leptosperin equivalent" — the scientifically documented marker found almost exclusively in stingless bee honey.

The Grading Scale

Three tiers. One transparent scale.

The UKF number reflects the minimum threshold met across the core markers — trehalulose, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity — with HMF held within freshness limits. The higher the number, the more potent and bioactive the honey.

Standard

Trehalulose≥10 g

TPC (GAE)≥200

DPPH≥20%

FRAP≥0.15

HMF≤80

Elevated Potency

Superior

Trehalulose≥20 g

TPC (GAE)≥400

DPPH≥30%

FRAP≥0.22

HMF≤80

High Potency

Elite

Trehalulose≥30 g

TPC (GAE)≥600

DPPH≥40%

FRAP≥0.30

HMF≤80

Ultra Bioactive

Thresholds shown are the UKF grading model (trehalulose in g/100g, TPC in mg GAE/100g, DPPH as % inhibition at 0.1 g/ml, FRAP in mg/ml at 20 mg/ml, HMF in mg/kg). Final thresholds are confirmed from accredited pilot-study data.

Participating Brands

Look for the UKF™ mark.

Only brands whose honey is independently tested and licensed may display a UKF grade. These are the brands currently participating in the standard.

Bayu Kelulut

Participating Brand

Honey Ritual

Participating Brand

Are you a producer? Email info@ukf.org.my and we will send you the certification pack.

Governance & Verification

Independently tested. Impartially verified.

UKF grades are determined by accredited, independent laboratories — never by the producer. That separation is what makes the number on the label trustworthy.

Endorsed by

The UKF standard is endorsed by GPUKM — Gabungan Persatuan Usahawan Kelulut Malaysia, the national federation of kelulut entrepreneur associations.

SGS Malaysia

An approved UKF testing laboratory. SGS conducts the accredited UKF biomarker panel — trehalulose, HMF, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity — providing impartial, internationally recognised verification of every certified batch.

Approved UKF Lab

UKM UNIPEQ

An approved UKF testing laboratory. UKM UNIPEQ — the accredited research and quality-testing arm of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia — delivers independent, university-backed verification of the UKF biomarker panel.

Approved UKF Lab

Developed in collaboration with

UKF is jointly developed by industry veterans, professionals, government bodies and universities.

Get in touch

Apply, or ask us anything.

Whether you are a producer ready to certify, a retailer, or a consumer looking for genuine quality — email us and our team will come back to you.

✉ info@ukf.org.my

Producers: tell us your farm or facility, your brand, and your typical batch volume, and we will send you the certification pack.