From the New Zealand bush
Manuka Honey
A honey that's graded by chemistry, not color. Harvested from a shrub that flowers a few weeks a year, deep in the New Zealand bush.
What is Manuka Honey?
Graded by chemistry
Manuka Honey comes from New Zealand, where bees collect nectar from the Manuka bush, known scientifically as Leptospermum scoparium. This shrub flowers for just a few weeks each year, deep in New Zealand's untouched wilderness.
What separates Manuka from every other honey is its level of methylglyoxal, or MGO. MGO is stable, heat-resistant, and measurable in milligrams per kilogram, which is why Manuka can be graded the way it is. Every Cosana jar shows its tested MGO value, verified at Hill Labs in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Independent certification
What is UMF?
UMF stands for Unique Manuka Factor. It's the certification system run by the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA), an independent New Zealand body founded in 1998 by beekeepers who wanted a science-based standard for Manuka.
Every certified batch is tested in independent labs against four markers: MGO (methylglyoxal) for concentration, Leptosperin to verify the honey is genuine Manuka and not a substitute, DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which converts to MGO over time and tells you the honey will keep its rating through shelf life, and HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), which shows the honey hasn't been overheated or aged.
To carry the UMF mark, members commit to standards that go beyond New Zealand law: full batch traceability, accredited lab testing, and ongoing audits by UMFHA. The UMF Honey Association states its members represent ~70% of all exported retail packs of New Zealand Manuka honey. Cosana holds UMF License No. 3178.
Visit UMF→
UMF & MGO,
at a glance.
Industry approximation
UMF and MGO measure overlapping but distinct things. UMF reflects a broader signature unique to mānuka nectar; MGO is a single-compound count in milligrams per kilogram. The thresholds shown here are widely-published industry approximations, used as a guide.
MGO vs UMF
MGO measures one thing, UMF measures four.
MGO measures one thing. It's the methylglyoxal concentration in milligrams per kilogram.
UMF is broader. It measures MGO as well, and includes Leptosperin (authenticity), DHA (shelf-life stability) and HMF (freshness). A UMF rating means the honey has cleared all four tests, not just one.
Because both scales share the methylglyoxal measurement, you can convert between them. See the comparison table on the left, or read the official UMF standard at umf.org.nz.
Values are approximate minimums based on the UMF Honey Association conversion. Actual MGO content varies slightly between batches, and every Cosana jar shows its own tested value via the QR code on the back of the jar.
What sets Manuka apart
A honey you can measure
Most honey is graded by color and taste. Manuka is graded by chemistry. It contains a compound called methylglyoxal, or MGO, that's stable, heat-resistant, and quantifiable. That's why every jar of Cosana shows the minimum MGO value, tested at Hill Labs, an independent New Zealand laboratory, so the figure on the lid matches what's actually in the jar.
Every batch is independently lab-tested. Certificates available on request.
Understanding quality
The MGO rating system
The MGO rating tells you how much Methylglyoxal is present per kilogram of honey. The higher the number, the more concentrated and potent the honey. MGO 80+ is a good starting point for everyday use. MGO 400+ suits more targeted applications. Our strongest variety, MGO 830+, is for those who want the maximum, tested and certified by an independent laboratory. All our MGO ratings are backed by certificates, which we're happy to provide on request.