Best & Worst Manuka Honey Identified by ConsumerLab Tests

White Plains, NY, May 12, 2025 -- Manuka honey is often promoted for wound healing, and for soothing sore throats, cough, acid reflux, and other conditions, due to its high concentration of the antibacterial compound methylglyoxal (MGO), and other compounds derived from the manuka bush. However, due to its unique characteristics, manuka honey can cost up to 25 times more than other types of honey, and it can be difficult to compare potency and quality claims on product labels.

To help, ConsumerLab recently purchased and tested eight manuka honeys for authenticity, potency, freshness, and taste. ConsumerLab tested products to determine if they met Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) standards, an independently certified quality assurance system that grades manuka honey quality on a scale from 5+ to 25+. Many, but not all manuka honeys, are labeled with a UMF rating. To confirm authenticity products were tested for manuka marker compounds and DNA. Products were also tested for freshness and for contamination with toxic heavy metals including lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury.

Based on ConsumerLab's laboratory and taste tests, two products were selected as Top Picks for manuka honey, which provide exceptional quality, freshness, taste and value at two different levels of potency.

Key Findings:

• Big differences in potency: Products varied widely in potency as determined by the concentration of MGO, which ranged from just 96 to as much as 1,113 mg/kg. One product was so low in MGO that it would only qualify for the lowest UMF grade for manuka honey of 5+.
• Freshness: Two products did not meet the UMF freshness standard expected of manuka honey, likely due to some loss of freshness during their time on store shelves. For this reason, ConsumerLab recommends selecting manuka honey that is far from its "Best if used by date," which typically seems to be set to about three years from when the raw material was UMF rated and certified.
• Authenticity: All eight products selected for testing by ConsumerLab were shown to contain authentic manuka honey, based on DNA and chemical analysis.
• Cost: The cost to get 20 mg of MGO (about the amount in a tablespoon of high-quality manuka honey) ranged more than 3-fold, from under $5 to more than $16.

Access the Full Report:

ConsumerLab’s full Manuka Honey Review is online and accessible to ConsumerLab.com members – currently over 100,000 individual subscribers and thousands more with access through libraries, schools, and medical centers.

The report includes test results and comparisons for eight manuka honey products which were selected for testing by ConsumerLab: Comvita Manuka Honey 18+ UMF MGO 696+, Comvita Manuka Honey 20+ UMF MGO 829+, Manuka Health Raw Manuka Honey 10+ UMF MGO 263, Manuka Health Raw Manuka Honey 20+ UMF MGO 850, Manukora Raw Manuka Honey 850+ MGO, New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka 15+ UMF 514+ MGO, New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka 20+ UMF 829+ MGO, and Wedderspoon RAW Monofloral Manuka Honey Kfactor 16.

The Review discusses the clinical evidence for and against the potential health benefits of manuka honey, including soothing sore throat and cough, reducing symptoms of acid reflux, wound healing, and other uses. It also explains how the quality of manuka honey is evaluated based on the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF), what to look for on labels, the best way to use and store manuka honey, and cautions to consider when consuming manuka honey.

A video that explains ConsumerLab’s findings and provides expert tips for selecting the best manuka honey is freely available.

Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. It has reviewed over 7,000 products and has published Product Reviews covering nearly every popular category of dietary supplements and health foods.

Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to continually updated reviews of nearly every popular type of dietary supplement and health food, answers to reader questions, and product recalls and warnings. ConsumerLab also provides independent product testing through its voluntary Quality Certification Program. The company is privately held and based in New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.

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