Manuka Honey UMF or MGO?

Posted by Allan Pollock on 8th Jul 2015

Manuka Honey UMF or MGO?


Active Manuka Honey.

There is a direct conversion between UMF & MGO

UMF15 equates to MGO550

UMF20 equates to MGO830

IMPORTANT - UMF20 is 33% STRONGER than UMF15

           

Kaimai Gold 20+ Manuka Honey 500g - NZ$120 - Licensed & Accredited

Manuka Health MGO550 500g - NZ$129

All honeys contain a small amount of anti-bacterial activity due to the hydrogen peroxide they contain.

Manuka Honey has the advantage of maximising this anti-bacterial activity due to the presence of natural compounds called Methylglyoxals.

Methogloxal is a compound found in the pollen in the flowers of the NZ native tree called Manuka.

The Manuka tree has a short flowering period which makes the placement of hives and the timing of the harvest crucial as the quality of the Methogloxal content of the honey can vary widely.

There are 2 ways of measuring the anti-bacterial strength of Manuka Honey, which can be confusing.

UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) is an internationally registered trademark that can be used only by licensed users who meet set criteria which include auditing and monitoring to ensure the product is natural, unadulterated, Manuka honey that has the unique non-peroxide antibacterial activity and is true-to-label claim.

A UMF of 15 equates to an anti-bacterial killing power of a 15% solution of phenol in water – so is very strong.

A UMF of 20 equates to an anti-bacterial killing power of a 20% solution of phenol in water – so is even stronger (33% stronger than UMF15)

To receive a UMF® grading, a honey must have the presence of DHA (dihydroxyacetone), Methylglyoxal, and Leptosperin.

The UMF® rating is a measure of the attributes and values that make up Manuka honey, and assures purity & quality.

MGO is an actual measure of the single concentration of the active anti-bacterial compound (Methogloxal) actually in that pot of honey.

So there is a direct conversion between UMF & MGO

UMF15 equates to MGO550

UMF20 equates to MGO830

UMF20 is 33% STRONGER than UMF15