Whilst table grade is suitable for human consumption and may possess antibacterial and anti- inflammatory activity, Medical Grade Manuka honey is superior in all aspects. Since there is little control over the bee’s production of the honey, strict measures need to be taken to make honey a suitable substance for use in medical devices. This can only be obtained by skilled and experienced apiculturists. Manufacturers of Medical Grade Manuka must adhere strict criteria in the areas of apiculture practices, sterility, pest management, storage, extraction, filtration and documentation.

There is international law defining when an ingredient can be termed “Medical grade”. Experts in the field such as Professor Peter Molan of Waikato University, New Zealand, have strived to create a set of criteria and guidelines by which the industry can categorize the purity of Manuka honey as Medical Grade. Manuka honey that complies with these set criteria and deemed “Medical Grade” can then be considered for inclusion in medical devices and medicinal formulations.
Here are the standards that need to be met in order for a Manuka honey product to qualify as medical grade Manuka honey:


1.Minimum MGO 100
This is established and confirmed by third party testing.

2.Sterility
Medical Grade honey for oral ingestion is not sterilized
Sterilization is performed using e-beam technology, specifically for honey in FDA approved medical devices. E-beam technology is not gamma irradiation, rather a method of sterilization that does not affect Manuka’s activity.

3.Documentation
Precise documentation and quality control enable trace-back through extraction and processing procedures to the location of the sites of the hive from which the batch honey has been collected. All documentation of production, extraction, processing and shipping is audited under the GMP and ISO standards. Contaminants

4.Unlike table honey, there is low tolerance to presence of contaminants in Medical Grade Manuka honey. The contaminants tested for and maximum levels allowed are as follows:

Antibiotics – zero tolerance

Insecticides – zero tolerance

Pesticide (inc. organochlorines) – zero tolerance

Miticide – zero tolerance.
Heavy metals – less than 20ppm
Foreign matter – less than 50 micron .
Benzaldehyde – zero tolerance
Tutin – Zero tolerance
Para DiChloroBenzene (PDCB) – zero tolerance
Organochlorines – no more than 0.1mg/kg
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) – zero tolerance
Hydroxymethyl Furfural (HMF) – <40

Manuka honey with a Nutritional Facts Panel is not a Medical Grade honey. Grocery store Manuka honey is not Medical Grade UNLESS Medical Grade is stated on the label, it is not medical grade.

The Manuka flower contains nectar that is collected by regular honey-hunting bees. DHA is in the Manuka nectar and is vital to the creation of  Manuka honey. No DHA, no Manuka honey!
As the Manuka nectar containing DHA naturally heats up in the hive it converts to methylglyoxal (MGO). Manuka honey matures and hits its peak MGO strength approximately 18 months from the time of harvest when all of the DHA has converted to MGO.

Methylglyoxal, commonly abbreviated as MGO, refers to the antibacterial strength of each Manuka honey batch and varies greatly from batch to batch.
The higher the MGO the higher the cost and often a high MGO is not necessarily the best option. We are happy to discuss this with you at info@manukaguard.com

MGO 100 is optimal for daily immune support
MGO 200 is optimal for soothing the throat and assisting with a good night’s sleep
MGO 250 is optimal to support a healthy digestive system.
MGO 400, Medical Grade is our strongest Manuka Honey, it is optimal for immune support, stomach discomfort, and/or restoring the gut microbiome.
MGO 600 is used in our formulated products, is, therefore, diluted, and is best used in a diluted form.
We believe consumers should not self-medicate with a Manuka honey MGO 600 and higher.

The UMF rating system has been abandoned as a labeling requirement by the New Zealand Government Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). MPI now requires the MGO content to be shown on the label.

The New Zealand Manuka honey industry has a zero-tolerance policy for pesticides. Manuka beehives are located in or near Manuka forest and a minimum of 10 Kilometers from farmland.
The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries heavily regulates the farming, processing, and packaging of Manuka honey.
To learn more, please visit New Zealand Government Manuka Standards