How is Comvita Mānuka Honey Graded?

You might have seen labels such as MGO, UMF™ and medical grade used in relation to mānuka honey, but what exactly does each of these mean? Let’s take a look at some of the terminology surrounding mānuka, and what these terms mean for Comvita Mānuka Honey.

MGO means methylglyoxal

MGO is Mānuka Honey

MGO is short for methylglyoxal, which is the dominant active component in mānuka honey, used to measure the honey’s antibacterial activity.

MGO is usually followed by a number on mānuka honey packaging. This number indicates the level of methylglyoxal in the honey. The minimum for a monofloral (made using the nectar of one plant species) mānuka honey is MGO 83 - the higher the number, the higher the MGO level.

However, measuring only MGO levels is not enough to ensure that a compound is from a natural mānuka honey source. At Comvita, we use a dual grading system - MGO & UMF™ - to provide you with extra assurance over the purity of your mānuka honey.

UMF logo

UMF™ (Unique Mānuka Factor)

UMF™ stands for Unique Mānuka Factor, which is an independently certified quality assurance mark for genuine New Zealand monofloral mānuka honey.

UMF™ measures both the quality and purity of mānuka honey, based on the levels of three unique signature compounds found in mānuka:

  • Methylglyoxal (MGO)
  • Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
  • Leptosperin

MGO forms from DHA in mānuka honey as it matures*. Leptosperin is also a naturally occurring compound in mānuka nectar**. Together, these three signature compounds indicate high-quality, authentic mānuka honey.

Mānuka honey’s UMF™ grade corresponds to its non-peroxide antimicrobial property. If your manuka honey has a UMF™ rating of 10 or higher, it has a non-peroxide antimicrobial property equivalent to that of a control 10% phenol solution. The higher the UMF™ rating, the higher the antibacterial property of the mānuka.

Other Mānuka Honey grading systems

MGO and UMF™ aren’t the only ways to grade the purity of mānuka honey. Other grading systems for this type of honey include KFactor™ and Molan Gold, which measure other compounds found in mānuka honey to test whether the honey is from a natural mānuka source.

Find out more about THE BENEFITS OF ADDING MANUKA HONEY TO YOUR ROUTINE.

* Adams, 2009
** Adams, 2009, Bong, 2017