How Authentic Australian Manuka Honey Is Tested and Certified

Authentic Australian Manuka honey is real Manuka honey, even if an AI chatbot or an online review has told you otherwise. That claim usually comes with the idea that only New Zealand honey qualifies, and it's one Dr. Peter Brooks hears often. A senior chemist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, he has spent more than a decade testing Manuka honey. "We both have very good Manuka," he said in an interview with us. "New Zealand have said they're the only source of Manuka honey. Well, it's not true. Australia's got Manuka honey."

So here's the plain answer: yes. Australian Manuka comes from the same family of plants as New Zealand's, and it's graded on the same active compound. The mix-up traces back to the way New Zealand designed its tests and trademarks.

This guide walks through what each test actually measures, how a single New Zealand marker can exclude authentic Australian Manuka honey, and what to look for on the label.

Key Takeaways

• All Manuka honey comes from Leptospermum plants. More than 80 species are native to Australia, compared with one in New Zealand.
• In a government-funded study of more than 5,000 Australian honey samples, at least seven native Leptospermum species, our three among them, made honey with exceptionally high antibacterial activity.
• New Zealand's export test checks for a chemical marker and pollen DNA from a single New Zealand species. It can't fairly assess authentic Australian Manuka honey, no matter its MGO.
• Independent lab testing behind the AMHA Mark of Authenticity confirms Australian origin plus minimum MGO and DHA levels.

Yes, authentic Australian Manuka honey is the real thing

Manuka honey is simply honey that bees produce from Leptospermum nectar (1). That name covers a whole group of plants, and the group is native to both countries. Australia is home to more than 80 Leptospermum species (84 by one 2018 count), while New Zealand has just one, Leptospermum scoparium (2, 3). In another conversation with us, Dr. Brooks summed it up: "It doesn't matter where it's from, so it could be from Australia or New Zealand. A Manuka honey is a Leptospermum honey that's got bioactivity associated with it." Biosota's authentic Australian Manuka honey is made from species such as L. liversidgei, L. whitei and L. polygalifolium. That range of species is much of what sets Australian Manuka honey apart.

People value Manuka honey for its antibacterial activity, which comes mostly from a natural compound called MGO (methylglyoxal) (1). On that measure, authentic Australian Manuka honey performs well. Researchers who analyzed 80 Australian Leptospermum honeys recorded MGO as high as 1,100 mg/kg in L. polygalifolium honey (4). In laboratory tests, the honeys with more MGO had stronger antibacterial activity. Of the 80, 22 were at least as active as the New Zealand Manuka honey used as a benchmark (4).

A larger, government-funded study followed, testing more than 5,000 Australian honey samples and 2,000 nectar samples from over 50 Leptospermum species (5). It found at least seven Australian species whose honey shows exceptionally high antibacterial activity, among them L. liversidgei, L. polygalifolium and L. whitei, the species our honey comes from. The researchers also concluded that Australian Leptospermum honey gets its activity from the same factors as New Zealand Manuka (5). Dr. Brooks, one of the study's authors, told ABC News: "Our medicinal honey is as good as, or more active than, New Zealand medicinal honey." He also said "some of our species are three or four times more active than New Zealand" (6). To see what this activity could mean for you, read our overview of Manuka honey benefits.

The name doesn't belong to New Zealand alone, either. Trademark offices in both New Zealand and the UK have turned down applications to make "Manuka honey" a protected New Zealand term (7, 8).

If authentic Australian Manuka honey is real Manuka, why do some tests reject it? The answer is a single marker.

The 2'-MAP marker: why some tests say Australian Manuka "isn't Manuka"

New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) introduced a Manuka honey definition for New Zealand exports in February 2018 (9). It looks for five things: four naturally occurring chemicals plus DNA from Manuka pollen (10). A honey has to pass all five, and the levels determine whether it's classed as monofloral (made mostly from Manuka flowers) or multifloral (a Manuka blend) (9).

One thing isn't on the list: MGO. Because the test identifies a plant, it says nothing about how strong authentic Australian Manuka honey is.

For Australian honey, the marker that matters most is 2'-MAP. Besides L. scoparium, more than 10 native Australian species make active Manuka honey, L. polygalifolium and L. liversidgei among them (2, 4). MPI's own research found every chemical marker in more than one plant species, with one exception. 2'-MAP showed up only in L. scoparium, New Zealand's single Manuka species, among the plants tested (10). A 2018 study of 15 Australian Leptospermum honeys found 2'-MAP below the detection limit in every one (11). That means authentic Australian Manuka honey from these species is unlikely to pass New Zealand's monofloral test, no matter how high its MGO.

New Zealand debated the 2'-MAP level as well. MPI revised it twice before landing on 5 mg/kg (9). When one New Zealand lab ran the definition against hundreds of local honeys, only about half of those with MGO between 83 and 263 mg/kg qualified as monofloral Manuka (9).

At least one independent testing organization outside New Zealand uses the same rule, 5 mg/kg 2'-MAP limit included (12). Under it, Australian Manuka honey with no 2'-MAP fails the monofloral check, regardless of its MGO.

Activity vs. identity: what MGO, DHA and leptosperin tell you

Manuka tests do one of two jobs: they either identify the plant or measure activity.

Activity: MGO and DHA. MGO develops gradually in honey from DHA (dihydroxyacetone), a natural compound found in Leptospermum nectar (13). Research suggests Leptospermum nectar is unusually high in DHA, which is why Manuka honey can reach far higher MGO levels than other honey (14). In Australia, DHA content depends on the species. L. whitei nectar contained more than 16,000 mg/kg, while some other species had none detectable (3). So the plant name alone isn't enough: every batch of authentic Australian Manuka honey needs its own test. For a closer look, see our guide to how MGO is measured and graded.

You may also find NPA (non-peroxide activity) on a jar of authentic Australian Manuka honey. It's a lab measure of how well a honey stops bacteria after its natural hydrogen peroxide has been neutralized. MGO and NPA usually rise together, but MGO is a direct measurement of one compound, in mg/kg (15). The AMHA notes that MGO is more accurate than the older plate tests (1). It's worth knowing what NPA means on a Manuka label before you compare jars.

HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) is often called a freshness test. It accumulates in honey over time, and much faster when honey is warm (5, 16). That's relevant to authentic Australian Manuka honey, because its MGO also takes time to develop. In one storage study of Australian L. polygalifolium honey, DHA steadily converted to MGO over 10 months at 22°C (72°F) while HMF held steady. At 35°C (95°F), HMF climbed sharply and MGO didn't rise (5). The researchers recommend keeping young, high-DHA honey at about 22°C (72°F) for around a year to get the most MGO (5).

Dr. Brooks describes the same process in our maturation video: at around 20°C (68°F), DHA turns into MGO over 12 months to two years, but overheating honey destroys MGO. That's why we mature our authentic Australian Manuka honey for 12 to 24 months at controlled temperatures, so the DHA can fully convert to MGO without heat damage. Our honey is matured, not "fresh," by design. Our guide to how temperature and shelf life affect Manuka honey explains how we care for it.

Identity: 2'-MAP, pollen DNA and leptosperin. These markers describe the plant, not the honey's strength. MPI's pollen DNA test relies on a marker chosen to detect L. scoparium "but not related species" (10). Our medicinal, high-MGO honey comes from L. liversidgei, L. whitei and L. polygalifolium, so it doesn't pass that DNA test, however high its MGO. Dr. Brooks names the same three species: "We have other species of Manuka, Leptospermum polygalifolium, Leptospermum whitei, Leptospermum liversidgei. They have greater natural MGO activity than New Zealand scoparium." The test was never built to recognize these Australian species. New Zealand researchers have even found Tasmania's L. scoparium to be genetically distinct from New Zealand's (17). So authentic Australian Manuka honey from other Leptospermum species was never going to match a test designed around New Zealand's plant.

Leptosperin is a natural compound the AMHA describes as found only in Manuka nectar and a stable marker of authentic Manuka honey (2). Some sources say leptosperin is unique to New Zealand's L. scoparium, but researchers have found it in Australian Leptospermum honey as well. One MPI-authored study found leptosperin and 2-MBA at significantly higher levels in Australian Manuka honey than in New Zealand Manuka honey, although it included only five Australian samples (10). We've had our own authentic Australian Manuka honey tested too: in July 2025, an accredited laboratory measured 1,770 mg/kg of leptosperin in a batch of our MGO 1717+.

Australia's standard: the AMHA Mark of Authenticity

The Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA) is the industry body representing Australian Manuka honey. Its Mark of Authenticity indicates that a honey "has been tested and approved according to the Association's Criteria for Defining Authentic Australian Manuka Honey" (18). To qualify, the honey must be pure, natural Manuka honey produced entirely in Australia (18), and an independent, approved lab must test it (18). Producers also have to show the honey came from Leptospermum nectar, using evidence such as flow diaries, color, flavor, chemical markers and pollen tests (18).

Testing DHA as well as MGO matters because DHA is the nectar compound that MGO forms from (13, 19). AMHA members also hold certificates of analysis from independent laboratories for every batch they sell (1).

You may hear that one measurement can't prove a honey is authentic Manuka. We agree, and neither Australian certification nor our own testing depends on just one. The AMHA Mark requires MGO and DHA results along with evidence that the honey came from Leptospermum nectar (18). On top of that, every batch of our honey goes through a 3-in-1 test at an independent, accredited laboratory, which measures MGO, DHA and HMF. We've also had leptosperin measured, as mentioned above. Our premium grades go further, through an AMHA four-factor authentication test performed at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It checks DHA, MGO, 3-PLA and 2-MBA against minimum levels. These are the results for one recent batch of our MGO 1200+ (ppm is the same as mg/kg):

The test outcome was "Authentic Australian Manuka Honey". That batch's 3-PLA level also exceeds the 400 mg/kg that New Zealand's export test requires for monofloral Manuka (9).

Dr. Brooks, who signed off on our four-factor report, has seen this at the top end: "I know I've tested regularly over 2,000 parts per million of methylglyoxal... Australia can produce more active honeys than New Zealand can. I mean, they're not common, but when you specialise in those honeys, we often get those levels in Biosota honeys."

Our full range of authentic Australian Manuka honey, from MGO 150+ to MGO 2200+, holds AMHA Authentic certification, and every batch comes with its own Certificate of Authenticity. To learn about our other certifications, see decoding Manuka honey ratings and certifications.

Does New Zealand own the word "Manuka"? The trademark fight and New Zealand's grading mark

A New Zealand group called the Manuka Honey Appellation Society spent years trying to register "Manuka honey" as a certification trademark. The Australian Manuka Honey Association, the body behind the mark for authentic Australian Manuka honey, opposed the application (7).

On May 22, 2023, the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand rejected it, pointing to evidence that the plant grows natively in both countries (7). The office added that "savvy marketing by Australian honey producers does not equate to dishonest trading on their part. Nor does it justify registration of a purely descriptive word" (7). Dr. Brooks recognizes the name's Māori origin: "We're not trying to claim the Maori name, we're claiming manuka, which is the Anglicized name," he told ABC News (6).

The UK's Intellectual Property Office refused it too, finding that the term "has become common to the trade as a reference to a type of honey" (8). The society later abandoned its appeal (8). Neither office accepted that "Manuka honey" belongs only to New Zealand producers. A 2021 legal update reported that an application in the European Union had also been rejected as descriptive (20).

Where UMF™ fits: you'll often spot UMF™ on New Zealand Manuka honey, but not on authentic Australian Manuka honey. UMF™ is a quality mark operated by the UMF Honey Association (UMFHA), which describes it as a quality assurance system for New Zealand mānuka honey (21). It combines four factors: MGO, leptosperin, DHA and HMF (21). Products bearing the mark trace back to UMFHA-licensed suppliers (21). In the association's own words, "The UMF™ identifies authentic New Zealand mānuka, so consumers can be sure it is derived from the nectar of Leptospermum scoparium" (22).

The reason is simple. It's a licensed mark for New Zealand honey from one species, and its absence tells you where a honey is from, not how strong or genuine it is.

How to verify authentic Australian Manuka honey before you buy

You don't need a laboratory to pick a genuine jar. Check for these four things:

• An MGO number in mg/kg. It's a direct measure of the compound behind Manuka honey's antibacterial activity (1), which is why MGO numbers matter.
• The AMHA Mark, plus its level. AMHA Authentic means a minimum of 85 mg/kg MGO and 170 mg/kg DHA (18).
• A certificate of analysis from an independent laboratory for your batch (1).
• An MGO figure, even when the label leads with NPA. The AMHA's approximate conversion guide is below (2).

When a jar of authentic Australian Manuka honey checks all those boxes, the lack of a New Zealand grading mark doesn't count against it.

Find Your AMHA Authentic Manuka Honey

Biosota Manuka honey is authentic Australian Manuka honey with AMHA Authentic certification. Our range is independently tested from MGO 150+ to MGO 2200+, and each batch has its own Certificate of Authenticity. Explore the full Biosota range, or use our Manuka honey strength chart to find the MGO grade that's right for you.

FAQs

Is Australian Manuka honey real Manuka honey?

Yes. All Manuka honey comes from Leptospermum nectar, and more than 80 Leptospermum species are native to Australia. Authentic Australian Manuka honey is tested for the same active compound, MGO. Trademark offices in New Zealand and the UK have also refused to make "Manuka honey" a protected New Zealand term.

What's the difference between MGO and UMF™?

MGO is a natural compound measured in mg/kg, and it's the main source of Manuka honey's antibacterial activity. Any Manuka honey can be tested for it, including authentic Australian Manuka honey. UMF™ is a licensed grading mark from the UMF Honey Association for New Zealand Manuka honey. It combines MGO with three other factors: leptosperin, DHA and HMF.

Why doesn't Australian Manuka honey carry a UMF™ rating?

UMF™ is a licensed mark for New Zealand honey, and the UMF Honey Association says it identifies honey from Leptospermum scoparium. Authentic Australian Manuka honey can't carry it, regardless of its MGO. Instead, it's verified through MGO testing and the AMHA Mark of Authenticity.

Does Australian Manuka honey pass New Zealand's Manuka test?

Authentic Australian Manuka honey made from species other than L. scoparium is unlikely to pass the monofloral check, and strength has nothing to do with it. New Zealand's export test requires at least 5 mg/kg of 2'-MAP, a marker MPI research found only in L. scoparium. In one study, all 15 Australian Leptospermum honeys tested had 2'-MAP below detectable levels.

What is 2'-MAP and why does it matter?

2'-MAP (2'-methoxyacetophenone) is a natural compound that New Zealand government research found only in Leptospermum scoparium, among the plants it tested. It identifies that species; it doesn't measure strength. In one study, none of 15 Australian Leptospermum honeys had a detectable amount.

What is the AMHA Mark of Authenticity?

It's the Australian Manuka Honey Association's mark for honey made entirely in Australia and tested by an independent, approved laboratory. AMHA Authentic requires at least 85 mg/kg MGO and 170 mg/kg DHA, while AMHA Authorised requires at least 30 mg/kg MGO and 60 mg/kg DHA. Look for it on authentic Australian Manuka honey.

Is Australian Manuka honey as strong as New Zealand Manuka honey?

It can be. In lab tests of 80 Australian Leptospermum honeys, 22 were at least as active against bacteria as a New Zealand Manuka honey control, and MGO reached 1,100 mg/kg. A larger government-funded study concluded that Australian Leptospermum honey gets its activity from the same factors as New Zealand Manuka. Strength varies from batch to batch, so always check the MGO number on authentic Australian Manuka honey before you buy.

References

1. Australian Manuka Honey Association, Quality Standards: https://manukaaustralia.org.au/quality-standards/
2. Australian Manuka Honey Association, "Australian Manuka Honey: 100% Pure, Natural, Active" consumer brochure: https://manukaaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/AMHA-Awareness-Brochure_v10_Web.pdf
3. Williams, Pappalardo, Bishop and Brooks, "Dihydroxyacetone Production in the Nectar of Australian Leptospermum Is Species Dependent", Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2018): https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04363
4. Cokcetin et al., "The Antibacterial Activity of Australian Leptospermum Honey Correlates with Methylglyoxal Levels", PLOS ONE (2016), antibacterial results from lab testing (in vitro): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167780
5. Cokcetin, Williams, Blair, Carter, Brooks and Harry, "Active Australian Leptospermum Honey: New sources and their bioactivity", AgriFutures Australia Publication No. 19-037 (2019): https://agrifutures.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/19-037.pdf
6. Nichols, "Stakes raised in Australia-New Zealand rivalry over manuka honey as study finds ours is the best", ABC News (October 24, 2019): https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-10-24/medicinal-honey-in-australia-superior-to-new-zealand-manuka/11635412
7. ABC Rural, report on the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand's "Manuka honey" certification trademark decision (May 22, 2023): https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-05-22/australian-producers-score-another-win-in-manuka-honey-war/102376322
8. Griffith Hack, New Zealand honey producers drop appeal in UK Manuka trade mark dispute: https://www.griffithhack.com/insights/publications/new-zealand-honey-producers-back-down-in-manuka-trade-mark-dispute/
9. Braggins, Analytica Laboratories, "The Impact of MPI's Definition of Mānuka Honey", New Zealand Beekeeper (April 2018): https://www.analytica.co.nz/media/yyrngupd/the-impact-of-mpis-definition.pdf
10. McDonald, Keeling, Brewer and Hathaway, "Using chemical and DNA marker analysis to authenticate a high-value food, manuka honey", npj Science of Food (2018): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6550171/
11. Rückriemen and Henle, "Pilot study on the discrimination of commercial Leptospermum honeys from New Zealand and Australia by HPLC-MS/MS analysis", European Food Research and Technology (2018), pilot study, 15 Australian samples: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-018-3036-1
12. ConsumerLab, Manuka honey testing methods: https://www.consumerlab.com/methods/manuka-honey-comparisons/manuka-honey/
13. University of Waikato Research Commons, conversion of DHA to MGO in Manuka honey during maturation: https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/812d8da7-e8eb-4b99-8bd6-9cfe1d278ff6/content
14. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, DHA content of Manuka (Leptospermum) nectar: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b00797
15. Study of MGO concentration and non-peroxide activity in Manuka honey: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11111008/
16. Grainger, Owens, Manley-Harris, Lane and Field, "Kinetics of conversion of dihydroxyacetone to methylglyoxal in New Zealand mānuka honey: Part IV, Formation of HMF", Food Chemistry (2017): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.04.066
17. Chagné et al., genetic differentiation between New Zealand and Tasmanian Leptospermum scoparium, Tree Genetics & Genomes (2023): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11295-023-01606-w
18. Australian Manuka Honey Association, Mark of Authenticity: https://manukaaustralia.org.au/mark-of-authenticity/
19. Australian Manuka Honey Association, Criteria for Defining Authentic Australian Manuka Honey: https://manukaaustralia.org.au/quality-standards/criteria/
20. Clayton Utz, "This trade mark stoush is as sweet as honey" (2021): https://www.claytonutz.com/insights/2021/september/this-trade-mark-stoush-is-as-sweet-as-honey
21. UMF Honey Association, UMF™ Quality Assurance System: https://www.umf.org.nz/unique-manuka-factor/umf-quality-assurance-system/
22. UMF Honey Association, "UMF Honey Association: protecting consumers for 25 years": https://www.umf.org.nz/umf-honey-association-protecting-consumers-for-25-years/