MĀNUKA HONEY GRADE DEFINITIONS

 

 

MĀNUKA HONEY  GRADE  DEFINITIONS

 

We are aware of the difficulties that customers are finding navigating the Manuka Honey grade systems available on the market.

Although the New Zealand government is working tireless to promote certified testing of the honey and avoid fraud and misleading of customers, some companies are still using their own grade systems, which are not the official UMF one and do not report the quantity of MGO present in the honey jar.

 

Manuka Royale is officially UMF certified, which means that our honey is tested following the most complete and clear grading system available, giving you the certainty that our honey is pure and contains the amount of MGO which is stated on the label.

Both the MGO and the UMF grades are shown on our labels, in order to show the purity of our Manuka Honey.

 

Following an explanation of the available Grade systems and the explanation of the test the honey has to undertake to be certified by each system.

 

MGO

MGO stands for Methylglyoxal, a naturally occurring compound which makes Mānuka unique. An MGO rating is a standardized measure of methylglyoxal content and is an indicator of quality.

 

UMF ®

UMF stands for Unique Mānuka Factor and is a complete and advanced grading system. It incorporates the measurement of MGO levels, but also includes additional testing of authenticity markets of the Mānuka honey.

The UMF® grading system is a quality trademark that identifies natural, unadulterated Mānuka honey that measures purity and efficacy.

Purity Measure — Leptosperin:

Leptosperin is a signature compound found in the nectar of the Mānuka flower and is what makes Mānuka unique. As one of Mānuka’s primary

authenticity markers, it assures you it has come from natural, unadulterated, natural Mānuka.

Efficacy Measure — Methylglyoxal (MGO)

MGO gives Mānuka its  special benefits and is the honey’s key content measure that determines its  grading. The higher the MGO levels, the higher the UMF® grade.

Quality Measure — Hydroxymethlfurfural (HMF)

Hydroxymethylfurfural is a key indicator used to detect heat  treatment or ageing of a product.  The HMF content should not  exceed 40 milligrams per kilogram. Levels higher than this can indicate excess heat treatment, or the product was stored at elevated temperatures for long periods. We guarantee that our honey’s HMF measurement will  be under 40.

 

BIOACTIVE

Bio Active measures both the peroxide and non-peroxide activity of Mānuka Honey. This can be difficult to measure accurately as the hydrogen peroxide (H202) antibacterial activity degrades very quickly when exposed to fluids, heat  and sunlight.

Bio Active has recently given way to MGO as the preferred grading system.

 

MGS

MGS measures MGO and DHA levels in Mānuka Honey between 5+ and 30+ and the number assigned correlates to the equivalent phenol strength of the Mānuka honey antibacterial activity.

MGS will not  provide a grade for Mānuka honey which has MGO levels of less than 100 mg/kg.

 

KFACTOR

KFactor does not  reportedly measure MGO, NPA or Leptosperin levels. In early marketing materials it reportedly measured and reflected pollen count but this seems to no longer be promoted.

KFactor focuses on 5 general pillars unrelated to the specific activity levels in the honey.