What does MGO on a label tell you?
How much methylglyoxal was measured, in mg/kg, at the time of testing. That's a real number and a useful one. What it doesn't carry is a minimum for leptosperin (which is what shows the honey is really mānuka), a minimum for DHA (which is what keeps the MGO where it is over time), or a licence and batch certificate behind it.
What does a UMF™ grade add?
Minimums for all four, at once. UMF™ 15+ means at least 512 mg/kg MGO, more than 200 mg/kg leptosperin and at least 400 mg/kg DHA, tested per batch, by a licensee UMFHA publishes. The full table is here.
Why do some jars carry both?
Because the MGO figure is the one most shoppers recognise and the UMF™ grade is the one with the licence behind it. Arataki print both — "UMF™ 15+ (MGO 512+)" — and their MGO figures line up with UMFHA's own minimums. Egmont print both too, with slightly different MGO numbers at the same grades.
So which should I buy by?
If you want a grade someone else has to stand behind, buy by UMF™ and check the licence number. If you're comparing two MGO-only jars, compare their MGO figures with each other — not with a UMF™ grade, because that arithmetic doesn't exist.
Frequently asked questions
Is UMF™ 10+ the same as MGO 263?
No. UMFHA's current minimum for UMF™ 10+ is MGO 261 mg/kg, and even a jar at exactly that figure is not "UMF 10+" unless it also meets the leptosperin and DHA minimums and is certified. UMFHA: "MGO /NPA does not convert to UMF™."
Is NPA the same as UMF™?
No. UMFHA says NPA is a single-compound measurement, while a UMF™ rating is made up of multiple factors.
What is K Factor?
UMFHA describe K Factor as indicating whether a product is mānuka honey or not, rather than rating quality or potency — so it answers a different question again.
Which is better?
That depends what you want from the label, and "better" is doing a lot of work in that question. UMF™ carries more tests and a licence; MGO carries one number. Neither tells you what the honey will do, and we won't either.
Sources
- UMF Honey Association — UMF vs MGO — last checked 16 September 2026
- UMF Honey Association — what UMF™ means — last checked 16 September 2026
- UMF Honey Association — the UMF™ Four Factor Quality Testing (the grade table) — last checked 16 September 2026
- Arataki Honey — their own New Zealand shop — last checked 16 September 2026
- Egmont Honey — their own New Zealand shop — last checked 16 September 2026