Manuka honey is derived from the nectar of the Leptospermum scoparium tree, or as the Māori named it - the Manuka tree - which is native to New Zealand.

What sets Manuka honey apart is its unique composition, which includes antibacterial and antimicrobial compounds. The most recognizable compound in Manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MGO). This antibacterial and antimicrobial strength makes Manuka honey a versatile natural remedy for various ailments. It can be used to treat skin conditions, wounds, digestive issues, and colds and flu.

UMF & MGO - The History

One of the compounds found in Manuka honey is naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is found in most honeys, contributing to their antibacterial properties. However, the peroxide activity in honey diminishes very quickly over time (and/or exposure to heat). For example, if you were to dip your finger into a normal honey hive and smear it on a wound, you would see the antibacterial benefit. However, by the time that jar has made it to the supermarket, it is likely not to have any antibacterial effect left.

However, in the 1980s, Professor Peter Molan from Waikato University in New Zealand made a groundbreaking discovery. He found that Manuka honey retained its potent antibacterial activity even after the hydrogen peroxide level in the honey had declined. At that point, he was unaware of the active compound responsible for this property, so he coined the term “Non-Peroxide Activity” (NPA) to describe it. NPA became the first measurement used to grade Manuka honey and gained international recognition. It is the NPA number on which the UMF association based their initial grading system for honey. In 2006, two scientists, one from Waikato University in New Zealand and the other from Dresden University in Germany, joined forces to identify the specific compound responsible for Manuka’s additional antibacterial activity. After conducting extensive research, they discovered that the compound was methylglyoxal (MGO).

In 2015, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) - part of the NZ Government - started a project to create a legitimate test to define what Manuka honey was. In 2018 MPI completed the project and brought in new guidelines on how to define what was Manuka. So the NZ government brought in a new 5 marker test (4 chemical markers and a DNA test) to prove what honey was Manuka and what was not.

All honey labeled as Manuka from 2018 and packed in NZ has had to pass this requirement, which has been enforced by the NZ government. This was a good thing as it allows consumers to understand that honey packed in jars in NZ is truly legitimate Manuka honey. Prior to the 2018 change in the Manuka definition, the UMF association also ran a research program of its own to try to define what Manuka honey was, where they discovered a new marker called Leptosperin. This marker (while not unique to Manuka) was found in high levels in Manuka honey.

Unfortunately however, the NZ government did not adopt this and decided to go with the 5 marker test. Along with the change in testing, grading systems such as Non-Peroxide Activity were no longer allowed to be used as they were seen to imply a therapeutic effect and so were not allowed to be used in marketing. This meant that the UMF grading system had to change as it was based on the NPA system - more about this below.

MGO, on the other hand, was allowed to be used as a grading system because it was a simple content claim - as MGO quantifies the naturally occurring levels of methylglyoxal (mg/kg) present in the honey and serves as a chemical marker for laboratories to assess the honey’s antibacterial strength. Most countries now recognise MGO as the most accurate method for describing the potency of Manuka honey.

The MGO grading system

The MGO rating represents the concentration of methylglyoxal in the honey. It serves as a quantitative measure of the honey’s antibacterial activity. Laboratories use MGO as a standard to determine the potency of Manuka honey. In recent years, most countries have agreed that MGO is the most reliable and accurate way to characterize the strength of Manuka honey.

The higher the concentration of methylglyoxal (MGO) in honey, the higher its rating and the stronger its antibacterial properties. For instance, honey with an MGO content of 850+ is more potent than honey with an MGO content of 300+.

The UMF grading system

Since 2018, the UMF association has based their grading system on 4 different markers:

• MGO - the source of the special antibacterial properties and an important potency measure. The higher the MGO, the stronger the concentration of MGO
• DHA - slowly converted to MGO in healthy living honey. The higher the DHA content, the longer the life of the MGO content in your mānuka honey
• HMF - assures honey has not been overheated or stored too long;
• Leptosperin - a compound found in Manuka flower nectar in high levels and can only be created by nature.

Also, all UMF certified products must meet the NZ government definition for Monofloral Manuka honey.

What about K-factor or Pollen tests?

K-factor is a grading system that was invented before the MPI guidelines and was originally made up based on the pollen content in the honey. A K-Factor 12 has a minimum 65% Manuka pollen count, and K-Factor 16 has a minimum 75% Manuka pollen count. The problem is that pollen count is a really poor measure for legitimacy as the pollen test does not even discern the difference between Manuka and Kanuka on the test. Both Manuka and Kanuka flower at similar times in New Zealand. Grading using pollen count does not measure the antibacterial level in the honey (the main reason people buy Manuka) - which raises the question as to why you would not want to state the antibacterial level of the honey???!

 

Bio Active / Active / Total Activity grades

"Manuka Honey's" that are graded with Bioactive or Active followed by a number are deliberately trying to mislead you. These honey's will be tested and certified but not for the right test / right stuff. These are usually tested for Peroxide activity (PA) or Total activity (TA)  - a combination of PA and NPA. They do this to obtain a high number on the label so that consumers will pay a higher price, as they prey on consumers lack of knowledge about the grading systems.

Remember earlier how we told you that peroxide activity declines very quickly over heat and time. Unscrupulous players will test their honey as soon as it is harvested to give them a high number - so they are technically not lying to you. But by the time you get it home to use - the levels will be much lower than when tested. 

Same for Total Activity - yes it may have some NPA in it, but the likelihood is that it had far more PA in it at the time of testing - for example a TA 30 - might have had a PA of 25 and an NPA of 5 - but by the time you come to use it only the NPA will be left!

Manuka honey that is packed in NZ is not allowed to use these grading systems. So if you see a TA or bio active graded honey - it may claim NZ Manuka on the label but it will have been packed overseas  - and will typically be very low grade multiflora Manuka or even kanuka with very little real antibacterial level in it.

So which grading system is better?

The answer is not as straightforward as it may seem. The UMF grading system covers 4 markers plus the NZ government test - so 9 markers in total - so naturally you would think it is the better grading system, and dont get us wrong it is the best grading system in NZ - as requires more of its members when it comes to testing than any other quality system.

However, most NZ companies that pack Manuka test for MGO, DHA, and HMF (it's called the 3 in 1 test) and is the most commonly used test in the industry, and all Manuka that is packed in NZ into retail jars has to meet the MPI testing requirements for Manuka honey.

So the only thing the UMF association does differently is test for Leptosperin. They also charge NZ companies $40k as a joining membership fee!!!! plus annual royalties.

We here at Wonder Honey also test for Leptosperin - which means we exceed all of the UMF testing criteria. We just feel at the moment that is a lot of money to pay just to be able to have the UMF logo on our label

Ultimately, those royalties and that $40k fee also get passed on to the consumer.

 

What does Wonder Honey do?

So we have decided to take a different path. We test for everyting the UMF association does plus more - we actually test for 26 different markers - including:

• MPI 5 marker test
• DHA
• MGO
• HMF
• Leptosperin
• plus 17 others

In order to confirm that we sell the very best, highest standard, legitimate Manuka - we just do it without passing on the extra cost.