How to Choose UMF Mānuka Honey For You

How to know what Mānuka honey to buy when there are so many different brand, numbers and grading systems to choose from? If you are new to the language of Mānuka honey, then choosing from our wide Manuka UMF range could be a bit confusing.

So we have made a full guide to choosing the right Mānuka UMF rating for you and your families needs!

Firstly, to fully understand what Mānuka honey is right for you, you must understand what  UMF is.

What’s a UMF certification?

Buying a certified UMF® Mānuka honey product guarantees that you are getting genuine honey with all its associated benefits.

If your jar of Mānuka honey holds a UMF rating it means that your Mānuka honey has be independently tested to prove it's authentic, meets the quality guidelines, and meets the MPI definition for monofloral Mānuka honey. So you can trust what is on the label is true.

Mānuka honey to receive a UMF® certification, the Mānuka honey must firstly meet the requirements as a monofloral Mānuka, and then meet the quality check with HMF levels below 40.

From there the three signature UMF® compounds are measured for potency, it’s these three compounds that gives the honey its rating:

• Leptosperin
• DHA 
• Methylglyoxal (MGO)

So look out for the UMF badge. It looks like this!

What’s a UMF rating?

As you now know, Methylglyoxal (MGO) is one of the key compounds found in Mānuka honey. The more MGO found in Mānuka honey, the higher the UMF rating and the more benefits!

Learn more about UMF® Mānuka Honey - click here.

Mono-floral vs Multi-floral Mānuka Honey - What’s the difference?

To receive a UMF rating our Mānuka honey must have ≥83 or more MGO in it.

So if your honey has a MGO level less than 83 MGO, then it will a Multi-floral Mānuka Honey. Meaning that the pollen they collected to make this honey was mainly Manuka, but not exclusively.

Multi-floral Mānuka Honey is less expensive as it does not contain the same levels of MGO as Mono-floral Mānuka Honey (UMF rated honey). So if you are looking for a Mānuka Honey with antibacterial benefits, don't surrender to a lower price point.

The rule of thumb when it comes to UMF Mānuka Honey is that if it costs less, it most likely has less potency and is of a lower grade. 

However if you just like the taste of Mānuka honey, Multi-floral Mānuka honey is a perfect way to get the flavour of tasty and smooth Mānuka honey - without the price point.

Mono-floral Mānuka means bee hives are placed on a site where the bees are mainly foraging on Mānuka bush/flower. While it’s inevitable that traces of other floral sources will be present, only monofloral Mānuka honey contains abundant levels of the magical, beneficial compounds that we love about Mānuka! 

To learn more about the pursuit of real Mānuka honey - click here.

Selecting the right Manuka Honey for you:

Here at Happy Valley we use our happiness scale as an easy guide to explain the benefits of Mānuka Honey. Using thescale is an easy and visual way to help you to identify which Mānuka honey is best for you and your needs.

When it comes to picking a UMF Mānuka honey, you need to know what exactly you want to get out of consuming it. 

Rule of thumb when choosing a Mānuka honey is the higher the rating, the more benefits; antibacterial ,antiviral, anti-inflammatory and flavour.   

Choose Everyday Happiness with UMF 5+ Mānuka & UMF 10+ Mānuka

Our Happy Valley UMF 5+ and UMF 10+ Mānuka Honey is the ideal starting point for starting your Mānuka Honey obsession.  

Firstly it’s not going to put a huge dent in your pocket, starting from just $20.00 USD and ranging to $99.99 USD (for a 35 oz - what a deal!), you can get the deep and smooth taste of Mānuka honey, with added benefits!

We recommend our UMF 5+ and UMF 10+ Mānuka Honey as the ideal honey for daily use and extra bit of happiness everyday in your food or drinks. UMF 5+ and UMF 10+ Mānuka Honey not only taste great but can help to support you to keep a healthy immune system. 

UMF 15+ & 18+ For Targeted Happiness

Our Happy Valley UMF 15+ and UMF 18+ Mānuka honey contain higher MGO levels and are ideal for topical usages such as DIY beauty treatments. For more targeted happiness consumed these in cooking and beverages to help support general health and wellness.

UMF 20+ For Boosted Happiness

Our highest UMF rated honey for a full boost of happiness. With almost 10x the amount of MGO found in UMF 5+, UMF 20+ is packed full of benefits.  Treating infections, protecting against pathogens and immunity support are just a few of the ways our customers have told us they use UMF 20+ Mānuka honey.

Still not sure what's best for you? Give us a message today, we are happy to help you find the best Manuka honey for you and your needs.