What is Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is made by bees from the nectar of New Zealand's Manuka bush. Here's what MGO and UMF grades mean, how to spot a genuine jar and how to pick a strength.
On this page 10 sections
The short answer
Manuka honey is honey made by bees from the nectar of the Manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), which is native to New Zealand. It is naturally rich in MGO (methylglyoxal), and it is graded by strength with an MGO or UMF™ number: the higher the number, the stronger the honey. We only consider honey from New Zealand to be Manuka honey, and every jar we sell comes from New Zealand.
Here's what you need to know before you choose a jar: where it comes from, what the numbers on the label mean, and how to pick the right strength.
Where Does Manuka Honey Come From?
The Manuka bush is native to New Zealand. Mānuka is its Māori name, and the plant has a long place in Māori culture. It flowers for just a few weeks each year, and that is when bees collect the nectar that becomes Manuka honey.
Because the flowering season is so short and the weather decides each harvest, supply is limited. That is one of the main reasons Manuka honey costs more than other honey. After harvest, the honey is tested to confirm it is Manuka and to measure its MGO.
What Do MGO and UMF Mean?
These are the two grading systems you'll see on a jar. Both tell you how strong the honey is.
- MGO (methylglyoxal) is the natural compound that sets Manuka honey apart and, in lab tests, the main driver of its antibacterial activity. The number is milligrams of MGO per kilogram of honey, so MGO 263+ means at least 263 mg/kg.
- UMF™ (Unique Manuka Factor) is a quality mark run by the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA) in New Zealand. It tests four markers: MGO, leptosperin (which confirms the honey is Manuka), DHA (the natural source of MGO) and HMF (a freshness check). A UMF™ jar shows a licence number you can look up on the UMFHA website.
The two scales line up: UMF 5+ is about MGO 83+, UMF 10+ about MGO 263+, UMF 15+ about MGO 514+, UMF 20+ about MGO 829+ and UMF 25+ about MGO 1200+. To convert any grade, use our MGO and UMF converter.
Grades at a Glance
We group our jars into three tiers by MGO.
Tiers follow the MGO number, so a UMF grade sits in the tier its MGO equivalent falls into.
Jars from each tier
Monofloral or Multifloral?
New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has a scientific definition for Manuka honey exported from New Zealand. Every batch is tested by an MPI-recognised laboratory for five markers: four chemical markers from Manuka nectar and one DNA marker from Manuka pollen. The results decide which of two types the honey is, and the label must say which.
- Monofloral: made predominantly from Manuka nectar. It has to meet the higher thresholds for all five markers.
- Multifloral: Manuka nectar alongside other flowers, with lower (but still regulated) thresholds. It is genuine Manuka honey with a lower Manuka share.
If a jar says neither, or calls itself a "blend", it's worth a closer look.
How to Pick a Strength
- New to Manuka, or after a daily spoonful? Start with Everyday (under MGO 400). It's lovely in tea or on toast and the easiest on the budget.
- Want more MGO in every spoon? Step up to Premium (MGO 400 to 799).
- After the strongest we have? Superior (MGO 800+) is our highest grade. It's rarer, and priced to match.
Higher isn't automatically better for everyone. Choose the strength that fits how you'll use it and your budget. Still not sure? Our quiz suggests a jar in a few questions, or see our 10 best Manuka honey jars.
How to Know It's Genuine
Check the label for these five things:
- From New Zealand, clearly stated.
- Packed in New Zealand, not repackaged overseas.
- A UMF™ grade with a licence number, or a clearly stated MGO rating.
- Monofloral or multifloral on the jar.
- A batch or lot number, so the testing can be traced.
Words like "Active", "Bio Active" or "TA" on their own are not a UMF™ or MGO rating. To check a jar step by step, try our Manuka honey jar checker.
Every jar we sell is New Zealand Manuka honey from Egmont Honey, Manuka Health and Comvita.
What It Tastes Like and How to Enjoy It
Manuka honey is thick and amber to dark brown, with a rich caramel taste, earthy and slightly herbal notes and a gently bitter finish. Higher grades tend to taste more intense.
- Straight off the spoon.
- Stirred into tea, or warm water with lemon.
- On toast, porridge or yoghurt.
- With cheese, in dressings and marinades, or as a glaze for roast vegetables and meat.
For more ideas, see our guide on how to use Manuka honey.
Store it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. It doesn't need the fridge and keeps for a long time.
Thinking of a daily habit? Here's how to take a teaspoon of Manuka honey a day. Curious how it differs from the honey in your cupboard? See Manuka vs regular honey, or find out whether Manuka honey is raw.
Explore More
Choosing a jar
- The 10 best Manuka honey jars: our picks across Egmont Honey, Manuka Health and Comvita.
- Highest MGO Manuka honey: our strongest jars and how the top grades compare.
- MGO and UMF converter: turn any UMF grade into MGO, and back.
- How to spot fake Manuka honey: five label checks and a quick jar checker.
Using it
- A teaspoon of Manuka honey a day: when and how to take a daily spoonful.
- The 9 benefits of Manuka honey: what the research has looked at so far.
- Top 5 Manuka honey myths: five common beliefs, checked.
- Manuka honey for skin: how people use it in their skincare routine.
- Manuka honey for cough: ways to take it by the spoon or in a warm drink.
Families
- Manuka honey for kids: what to know before sharing a jar with children.
- Manuka honey for dogs: what to know before sharing it with your dog.
Behind the honey
- The story behind Egmont Honey: an interview with founder James Annabell.
- Comvita's origin story: the beekeeper's dream that started it in 1974.
More Detail
The Manuka Plant and Its Name
Manuka honey comes from Leptospermum scoparium, a hardy shrub or small tree native to New Zealand. It usually grows two to five metres tall, with small, pointed leaves and white or pink flowers. Mānuka is its Māori name, and it is also known as kāhikatoa.
The bush grows in many parts of New Zealand, often in remote and rugged country. Egmont Honey, for example, keeps its hives in South Taranaki, on the west coast of the North Island. The bush flowers for two to six weeks a year, usually in the Southern Hemisphere summer between late November and early February.
How New Zealand Defines Manuka Honey
In late 2017, New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) introduced a scientific definition for Manuka honey exported from New Zealand. Each batch is tested by an MPI-recognised laboratory for five attributes:
- Four chemical markers from Manuka nectar: 3-phenyllactic acid, 2'-methoxyacetophenone, 2-methoxybenzoic acid and 4-hydroxyphenyllactic acid.
- One DNA marker from Manuka pollen.
All five must meet set thresholds. Monofloral Manuka honey meets the higher thresholds, and multifloral meets lower (but still regulated) ones. Honey that meets neither cannot be exported from New Zealand as Manuka honey.
How MGO Is Tested and What UMF Adds
MGO is measured in a laboratory, usually by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and reported in milligrams per kilogram. MGO forms naturally from DHA in the nectar, and DHA keeps converting to MGO after harvest. So freshly extracted honey can test lower than the same honey later on.
UMF™ goes further. It is run by the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA), an independent New Zealand organisation founded in 1998, and it tests four markers:
- MGO: the strength.
- Leptosperin: confirms the honey comes from Manuka nectar.
- DHA: the natural source of MGO.
- HMF: a freshness check that the honey hasn't been overheated or stored too long.
To use the UMF™ mark, a producer must hold a UMFHA licence, and the honey must be packed and labelled in New Zealand. Each licence has a number you can check on the UMFHA website. Comvita, for example, holds licence #1019. UMF grades line up with MGO on a fixed scale, from UMF 5+ (MGO 83+) to UMF 30+ (MGO 1620+), the same scale our converter uses.
A Short History of Grading
Most honey has some peroxide activity, which comes from natural enzymes. In the 1980s, research led by Professor Peter Molan at the University of Waikato found that Manuka honey also had an activity that remained when the peroxide was removed. It became known as non-peroxide activity (NPA), and the UMF name was created to grade it.
The UMF Honey Association was founded in 1998 to look after the UMF mark. In 2008, researchers identified methylglyoxal (MGO) as the compound behind the non-peroxide activity. That made it possible to grade Manuka honey by a single measured number, MGO in mg/kg. Today's UMF grades are based on chemical markers rather than the older activity test.
In late 2017, MPI's definition added a government standard for what can be exported as Manuka honey.
FAQs
What is Manuka honey?
Manuka honey is honey made by bees from the nectar of the Manuka bush, which is native to New Zealand. It is naturally rich in MGO and graded by strength with an MGO or UMF™ number. We only consider honey from New Zealand to be Manuka honey.
What is Manuka honey good for?
Most people enjoy it by the spoon, in warm drinks or on toast. For what the research has looked at so far, see our article on the 9 benefits of Manuka honey.
What does Manuka mean?
Mānuka is the Māori name for Leptospermum scoparium, a flowering bush native to New Zealand. Manuka honey takes its name from the bush because bees make it from its nectar.
What does UMF mean on Manuka honey?
UMF™ stands for Unique Manuka Factor, a quality mark run by the UMF Honey Association in New Zealand. It tests four markers (MGO, leptosperin, DHA and HMF), and a UMF™ jar shows a licence number. As a guide, UMF 10+ is about MGO 263+.
What is MGO in Manuka honey?
MGO is methylglyoxal, the natural compound that sets Manuka honey apart. The number on the jar is milligrams per kilogram, so MGO 400+ means at least 400 mg/kg. The higher the MGO, the stronger the honey.
Why is Manuka honey so expensive?
The Manuka bush flowers for only a few weeks a year and the weather decides each harvest, so supply is limited. The honey is also tested to confirm it is Manuka and to measure its MGO. Higher grades are rarer, so they cost more.
Does Manuka honey only come from New Zealand?
For us, yes. The Manuka bush is native to New Zealand, and we only consider honey from New Zealand to be Manuka honey. Every jar we sell comes from New Zealand, where Manuka honey for export is tested against the government's MPI definition.
How can I tell if Manuka honey is genuine?
Check the label for New Zealand origin, packed in New Zealand, a UMF™ grade with a licence number or a clear MGO rating, the word monofloral or multifloral, and a batch number. Our jar checker walks you through it.
Which Manuka honey is best?
The best jar is the one that fits how you'll use it and your budget. Everyday grades (under MGO 400) suit a daily spoonful, Premium (MGO 400 to 799) is a step up in strength, and Superior (MGO 800+) is our highest. Our quiz suggests a jar in a few questions.
