What's the difference between Manuka honey, MGO and UMF in New Zealand? Which is true and which is false?

In fact, the two are the same, but the standards of measurement are different.

MGO: Manuka honey antibacterial factor

MGO is a substance called methylglyoxal, and the antibacterial properties of Manuka honey are closely related to this organic substance. But it is not the only ingredient that makes Manuka honey have natural antibacterial effect. Honey also contains other antibacterial factors, and the combination of various antibacterial substances makes Manuka honey have such a strong antibacterial effect.

Because MGO is not the only antibacterial ingredient of Manuka honey, consumers do not need to be overly superstitious about MGO rating and blindly pursue high-grade MGO Manuka honey. Even if the MGO grade on Manuka honey packaging is true, it is not the same as the real antibacterial effect of honey.

UMF: antibacterial grade of manuka honey

UMF is the abbreviation of Unique Manuka Factor, which refers to the antibacterial grade of Manuka honey in the non-peroxide process, and is the most authoritative index of Manuka honey. Because the antibacterial properties of Manuka honey come from many substances, UMF rating will consider all antibacterial factors, including MGO. The common UMF grades are UMF 5+, UMF 10+, UMF 15+ and UMF 20+, and the plus sign indicates that the actual antibacterial effect of Manuka honey may be higher than the digital label. UMF antibacterial substances are not found in other kinds of honey, so it is also called the only factor of Manuka and the biggest difference from ordinary honey.

UMF rating is currently audited and supervised by New Zealand Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association. The process of UMF rating will start from beekeeping and trace back to the packaging factory. Each can of Manuka honey will be marked with the date of production, the best tasting period and the batch number. UMF rating is an internationally recognized authoritative standard at present. Its supply chain needs to be independently audited and verified. No one has the right to label honey with UMF without going through the strict audit procedure of UMF in advance.

It can be seen from the above analysis that UMF and Active are talking about the different properties of Manuka honey, and its main properties are antibacterial functions, including non-peroxide (non-hydrogen peroxide antibacterial function) and peroxide (hydrogen peroxide antibacterial function). The antibacterial function of active honey comes from the activity of hydrogen peroxide, and UMF provides non-hydrogen peroxide antibacterial function. Non-hydrogen peroxide is quite stable and can maintain considerable activity for a long time (it is not easy to be cracked by light, heat and enzymes in human body, and its activity may increase with time). Therefore, in general, both Active and UMF have antibacterial functions, but the antibacterial performance of UMF is more stable, and the digital size is more referential.

So many indicators, which one to look at?

On February 5th, 20 18, MPI of New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries uniformly stipulated the use of MGO index, and the activity and content of MGO were tested by independent laboratories in Britain and New Zealand. Before using UMF and activity indicators, MGO indicators should be uniformly marked on the outer packaging to facilitate the management of relevant departments and help consumers better understand Manuka honey.

A product must meet five indicators at the same time to be called manuka honey. In addition, the test will be conducted in an MPI-certified laboratory. Undoubtedly, the new official standard is the strictest manuka honey standard in history. In addition, manuka honey can be traced back to beekeepers and breeding places. The five standards include the content standards of four chemicals and the DNA of Manuka pollen. Among them, an active substance named 2'- methoxyacetophenone only exists in Manuka honey, which is the most iconic difference between Manuka honey and other honey.

The new Zealand official standard came into effect on February 5, 20 18. Prior to this, the package indicated that Manuka can still be exported to some countries that do not need official guarantee, or it can still be exported within six months after the new regulations begin, which means that Manuka honey that has not implemented the new standards can still be exported before August 5, 20 18.