UMF® is the registered trademark of the UMF® Honey Association and can only be used by licensed operators that meet published standards and strict criteria….like us! 100% Pure New Zealand Honey is a UMF® Licensee (N0. 1037). Look for that marker and you’ll know it’s real New Zealand mānuka honey.
Genuine UMF® mānuka honey contains a number of special markers that indicate the content of the honey. Only a small percentage of honeys contain all the characteristics required to be labelled as genuine UMF® rated mānuka honey. The UMF® quality mark assures you the honey you are purchasing is indeed genuine mānuka honey.
What about MGO? MGO stands for methylglyoxal, and it’s one of the chemical markers used to indicate the level or rating of each UMF® mānuka honey. MGO is the chemical that was identified originally as giving mānuka honey its unique antibacterial characteristics. The UMF® level varies based on the amount of MGO present in the honey as per the chart below.
While MGO is the key to determining the UMF® level of mānuka honey, it cannot be used on its own to prove whether it’s authentic. For that reason, it is important to check for other markers such as Leptosperin, which is unique to mānuka honey and not able to be chemically manufactured.
At 100% Pure New Zealand Honey, every batch of our UMF® mānuka honey is tested for a range of chemical markers to prove it is genuine and our HoneyID™ traceability tool allows you to check the independent laboratory report. If your honey does not test for MGO and other unique markers, ask why not. (The answer is, it’s probably not real mānuka honey!)
