The power of Mānuka Honey
Mānuka honey is produced from the nectar of the Mānuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), a plant native to New Zealand. While all honey has natural properties, Mānuka is set apart by its unique bioactive compounds, which are found at significantly higher levels than in regular honey.
What is Mānuka Honey?
The key compound is methylglyoxal (MGO), which forms naturally from dihydroxyacetone (DHA) present in Mānuka nectar. The concentration of MGO, alongside other markers like leptosperin, is what gives Mānuka honey its reputation and its price tag.
Mānuka flowers bloom for a short period during the New Zealand summer. The short window, combined with the remote locations where Mānuka grows, makes genuine Mānuka honey a limited resource. Some beekeepers airlift hives into mountainous terrain beyond road access to reach the best harvest zones.
Not all honey labelled as Mānuka is the real thing. The New Zealand government requires all exported Mānuka honey to pass MPI testing, and independent grading systems like UMF provide an additional layer of verification.
IIf you’ve shopped for Mānuka honey before, you’ve probably seen two different numbers on the label: UMF and MGO. Both measure quality, but they’re not the same thing.
MGO (Methylglyoxal) measures a single compound. The number on the label tells you the concentration of methylglyoxal in milligrams per kilogram. A higher MGO number means a higher concentration of that one compound.
UMF (Unique Mānuka Factor) is a more comprehensive grading system. It tests for three markers: MGO, leptosperin (which confirms the honey genuinely came from Mānuka nectar), and DHA (which indicates the honey’s long-term potency). UMF also tests for authenticity markers that confirm the honey hasn’t been adulterated.
In short, MGO tells you one thing. UMF tells you the full picture. That’s why Onuku uses the UMF system for all our Mānuka honey.
UMF 5+ = MGO 83+ (Table grade)
UMF 10+ = MGO 263+ (Therapeutic grade)
UMF 15+ = MGO 514+ (Antibacterial grade)
UMF 20+ = MGO 829+ (Premium grade)
UMF 25+ = MGO 1200+ (Superior grade)
Grade tier terminology is based on UMF Honey Association classifications.
Which grade of Mānuka honey is right for you?
UMF 5+ | Table grade
UMF 5+ is an accessible starting point if you’re new to Mānuka or want a quality honey for cooking, baking, smoothies, and hot drinks. It contains the baseline Mānuka bioactive markers at modest levels.
Common uses: Daily sweetener, cooking and baking, adding to tea or smoothies, general everyday use.
UMF 10+ | Therapeutic grade
UMF 10+ is where Mānuka honey is considered therapeutically active, with meaningful levels of MGO and supporting markers. A versatile grade for daily consumption.
Common uses: Daily wellness routine, seasonal support, a step up from table grade for those wanting more from their honey.
UMF 15+ | Antibacterial grade
Elevated bioactive levels. UMF 15+ is commonly chosen for topical application, targeted use, and by those who want a potent daily Mānuka. Rich, earthy, and full-bodied in flavour.
Common uses: Skin application, targeted daily use, a meaningful step up in potency from UMF 10+.
UMF 20+ | Premium grade
High-potency Mānuka with MGO levels of 829+. UMF 20+ is for those who want the strongest bioactive profile available in a daily-use honey. Intense, complex flavour with deep caramel and herbal notes.
Common uses: Premium daily use, skin application, those seeking maximum potency.
UMF 25+ | Superior grade
The highest concentration of bioactive compounds available. UMF 25+ is the top tier of Mānuka honey, with MGO levels exceeding 1200mg/kg. Limited availability due to the rarity of this honey.
Common uses: Maximum-strength Mānuka for targeted application and dedicated wellness routines.
How Mānuka Honey is harvested
Mānuka flowers bloom once a year, during the New Zealand summer, for a window of just six to eight weeks. That’s the entire annual harvest opportunity.
Hives are placed in areas where Mānuka bush is abundant, often in remote and rugged terrain. Bees will forage up to seven kilometres from their hive, and the Mānuka nectar they collect contains DHA, which naturally converts to MGO over time after harvest.
Once extracted, the honey is tested for its chemical profile. The UMF grading is assigned based on the levels of MGO, leptosperin, and DHA detected. Only monofloral Mānuka honey, where Mānuka nectar is the dominant source, qualifies for UMF grading. Multifloral Mānuka, where bees have foraged more broadly, is classified separately.
The honey is then packed and batch-coded. At Onuku, every jar receives an OAYE authentication tag so consumers can trace the origin and test results of their specific batch.
History of Mānuka honey
The word Mānuka comes from te reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand. Māori have used the Mānuka plant for centuries for its medicinal properties.
European settlers in the 1800s began brewing Mānuka leaves as a tea substitute. Honey bees were first introduced to New Zealand in 1839 by Methodist missionary Mary Bumby, and Mānuka honey production followed.
The science caught up in the 1980s, when researchers at the University of Waikato identified methylglyoxal as the compound responsible for Mānuka honey’s unique antibacterial properties. That discovery transformed Mānuka from a local product into a globally sought-after commodity.
Today, New Zealand’s Mānuka honey industry is tightly regulated. All exported Mānuka honey must pass government MPI testing, and grading systems like UMF provide consumers with an independent standard of quality.
How to store and use Mānuka honey
Storage: Keep your Mānuka honey in a cool, dark place. Do not refrigerate. Honey is naturally shelf-stable and can last for years when stored correctly. Crystallisation is normal and doesn’t affect quality.
Temperature: To preserve the bioactive compounds, avoid adding Mānuka honey to boiling liquids. Let your tea, coffee, or tonic cool to below 40°C before stirring it in.
Utensils: Use a wooden or ceramic spoon rather than metal. Mānuka honey is naturally acidic, and metal utensils can cause subtle reactions over time. A dedicated wooden spoon also prevents cross-contamination with other flavours.
Serving: Mānuka honey can be taken by the spoonful, stirred into drinks, drizzled over food, or applied topically to the skin. Higher UMF grades (15+) are commonly used for skin application, while lower grades (5+ to 10+) are popular for daily consumption and cooking.
Things worth knowing about Mānuka
The Mānuka bush is native to New Zealand and parts of southeastern Australia, but the unique combination of soil, climate, and altitude in New Zealand produces honey with the highest bioactive profiles.
There are no Mānuka bees. The bees that produce Mānuka honey are standard European honey bees (Apis mellifera), introduced to New Zealand in 1839. Native NZ bees were not suited to commercial honey production.
A worker bee lives for about six weeks and produces roughly one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. A healthy, well-managed hive can produce two to three times more honey than the colony needs.
As much as 80% of honey sold globally as “Mānuka” has historically been mislabelled or adulterated. New Zealand’s government-mandated MPI testing and independent grading systems like UMF exist to protect consumers from fraudulent products.
New Zealand’s kakariki parakeets have been observed chewing Mānuka leaves and applying the pulp to their feathers, apparently to repel parasites. Even the birds know.
