TA, NPA, UMF, MGO ...
Confused by the many indications of Manuka-Honey ?

Click this link for the list of Manuka-Honey  producers with an official (= real) UMF® Manuka-Honey  license (ApiHealth NZ Ltd #1052, Melita Ltd #2050, Kāre Ltd #2202, Manukora & Kaimai Gold #2228)

The meaning of the different indications ...

TA

TA on the label of Manuka-Honey  relates to the Total Activity.
The Total Activity of Manuka-Honey  is calculated on the basis of both the peroxide- and the non-peroxide activity of the Manuka-Honey.
In this method the activity of the Manuka-Honey  normally is indicated with the letters TA. For example, TA10+. Also indication without letters, in this example 10+, is not unusual.

NPA

At the indication NPA (Non-Peroxide Activity), only the Non-Peroxide Activity of the Manuka-Honey  is calculated to indicate how powerful the enzymes in the Manuka-Honey  are.

What is the difference between the TA method & the NPA system?

Because the peroxide activity of the Manuka-Honey  is excluded in the NPA system, Manuka-Honey  specified with the NPA system always has a more powerful effect than Manuka-Honey  specified with the Active, TA, TAA, or TPA method.
Since there is no supervision on the use of TA and NPA values on labels, the indications TA and NPA are no warranty for quality.

The abbreviation UMF  (Unique-Manuka-Factor) was introduced as thé standard to specify the strength of the NPA (Non-Peroxide-Activity) component in Manuka-Honey. After all, not all Manuka-Honey  has the same Non-Peroxide activity. The NPA component in Manuka-Honey  determines the unique properties of Manuka-Honey. A greater presence of this component in the Manuka-Honey  results in more powerful Manuka-Honey. For example, a NPA value of 15+ is in this system indicated with UMF® 15+, a NPA value of 20+ with UMF® 20+, and so on... The UMF® Manuka-Honey  logo is only allowed to be applied to products that meet the strict quality requirements of the UMF® Manuka-Honey-Association. An independent party is responsible for monitoring it. 
Manuka-Honey  with UMF® MANUKA-HONEY  LOGO is Manuka-Honey  with the ONLY OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED Manuka-Honey  QUALITY SEAL.

MGO™ & MGO®

Because the UMF  system can give minor deviating results under the same circumstances, the wish arose for a more accurate method. When by chance the accurately measurable component Methylglyoxal (MGO ) was discovered in Manuka-Honey, the component that (as a result of synergy with other components in Manuka-Honey ) largely determines the strength of the Non-Peroxidic Activity of Manuka-Honey, arose next to the UMF  system the on Methylglyoxal based MGO  method. With this method the non-peroxide activity (NPA) of Manuka-Honey  can be determined more accurate. As is the case with the TA method and the NPA system there is also no supervision on this method. Consequently also the MGO™ and MGO® logos are no warranty for quality or quality mark. 

Weblink to the: METHYLGLYOXAL / NPA HONEY  CONVERSION CALCULATOR

Click this link for the official (= real) conversion chart UMF® from/to MGO

In the table below you will find the comparison of MGO  and NPA activity.

      5+ / 6+                   83+ / 113+                Manuka-Honey  with mild Non-Peroxide Activity

          10+                            263+                    Manuka-Honey  with good Non-Peroxide Activity

          13+                            406+                    Manuka-Honey  with strong Non-Peroxide Activity

    15+ / 16+               514+ / 572+              Manuka-Honey  with excellent Non-Peroxide Activity

          20+                            829+                    Manuka-Honey  with superior Non-Peroxide Activity

More information on Manuka-Honey  on our page MANUKA-HONEY, LEARN MORE ABOUT MANUKA HONEY