How to Read a Mānuka Honey Certificate of Analysis

Every genuine Mānuka honey shipment travels with a Certificate of Analysis. Most buyers glance at the MGO number, nod, and file it. That's a mistake — the COA is the single document that separates verified Mānuka from marketing copy, and reading it properly takes about five minutes once you know what each line means.

This guide walks through a Mānuka COA line by line: what each test measures, what the numbers should look like, and the red flags that tell you a certificate — or the honey behind it — isn't what it claims to be. It's written for distributors and retail buyers, but the same checks work for a consumer holding a jar.

What a COA actually is

A Certificate of Analysis is a lab report tied to one specific batch of honey. Not the brand. Not the product line. One batch, identified by a batch number that must match the number printed on the jars in your shipment.

Two things determine whether a COA means anything:

1. Who ran the tests. A credible COA comes from an independent, accredited laboratory — in New Zealand that means an IANZ-accredited lab. A producer's in-house results are useful for production control, but they are not independent verification. Serious suppliers provide both.
2. Whether the batch number chains through. The batch number on the COA must match the jar label, the packing documentation, and the export paperwork. If the chain breaks anywhere, the certificate proves nothing about the honey in front of you.

The headline line: MGO

MGO (methylglyoxal) is the compound most associated with Mānuka's non-peroxide activity, and it's the number on the front of the jar — MGO 260+, MGO 500+, and so on. On the COA it appears as a precise tested value in mg/kg.

The rule that matters: the tested value must be at or above the labelled grade. A jar labelled MGO 260+ backed by a COA showing 263 mg/kg is exactly right. A "MGO 500" product whose COA shows 447 mg/kg is mislabelled, full stop.

Also check the test date. MGO levels change slowly as honey matures, so a reputable supplier tests close to packing — a COA dated two years before the batch was packed tells you about honey that no longer exists in that state.

DHA: the maturity indicator

DHA (dihydroxyacetone) comes from Mānuka nectar and gradually converts into MGO as honey matures. It's the precursor. A COA that shows both DHA and MGO tells you two useful things:

• Authenticity: meaningful DHA alongside MGO is consistent with genuine Mānuka origin. MGO with almost no DHA in young honey is a flag worth questioning — synthetic MGO addition is a known fraud vector in this category.
• Trajectory: high remaining DHA suggests the MGO level will hold or rise over shelf life; depleted DHA means the honey is fully matured.

Leptosperin: the hard-to-fake marker

Leptosperin is a naturally occurring compound found in the nectar of Mānuka and closely related species. It matters because it is very difficult to add artificially — which is exactly why grading systems use it as an authenticity marker. On a COA you'll see it reported in mg/kg or simply as detected at a qualifying level. Its presence alongside MGO and DHA is one of the strongest simple indicators that you're looking at real Mānuka rather than doctored commodity honey.

The MPI monofloral test: five attributes, no exceptions

Any honey exported from New Zealand labelled "Mānuka" must pass the Ministry for Primary Industries' scientific definition — four chemical markers plus a DNA test for Mānuka pollen.^[1] To be labelled monofloral Mānuka (rather than multifloral), the honey must meet the higher thresholds:

If a product is sold to you as monofloral Mānuka and the supplier cannot show the five-attribute panel, the monofloral claim is unverified — whatever the MGO number says. This is the single most skipped section of a COA, and the one that carries the regulatory weight.

The quality lines: HMF, moisture, tutin

HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) is a freshness and heat-damage indicator. It rises when honey is overheated or stored badly. The Codex international standard for honey caps HMF at 40 mg/kg^[2] — genuinely fresh, gently handled honey typically tests far below that. A high HMF number on premium-priced Mānuka means the honey was cooked or is old.

Moisture affects shelf stability — honey above roughly 20% moisture can ferment. Well-handled Mānuka typically sits comfortably under that line.

Tutin is a naturally occurring toxin that can appear in NZ honey in rare circumstances. New Zealand food standards cap it at 0.7 mg/kg,^[3] and export batches are tested for compliance. You want to see this line present and compliant — its absence from a COA for NZ honey is a completeness flag.

Seven red flags on a COA

1. No lab name or accreditation. A certificate that doesn't say who performed the testing isn't a certificate.
2. In-house results only. Production-line numbers with no independent lab verification behind them.
3. Batch number mismatch — or no batch number at all. A "brand-level" COA that isn't tied to a batch is marketing material.
4. Labelled grade above the tested value. MGO 500 on the label, 447 on the paper. Walk away.
5. A monofloral claim with no five-attribute panel. The MGO line alone does not make honey monofloral.
6. Stale test dates. Testing done long before packing, presented as if it describes the current product.
7. Suspiciously round or range-only numbers. Real lab reports give precise values with methods and detection limits, not "MGO: 500+".

How to check a COA is genuine

A fabricated PDF is cheap to make, so for a meaningful order, verify the document itself:

• Contact the lab. Accredited labs will confirm whether a report number is real and issued to that client. Five-minute email.
• Match the chain. COA batch number → jar label → packing list → export certificate. One unbroken chain.
• Ask for the full report, not a summary page. Full reports include methods, detection limits, and lab signatories.

Where Nuka stands

Every Nuka batch ships with a full Certificate of Analysis: MGO, DHA, Leptosperin, HMF, and the complete MPI five-attribute monofloral panel, independently verified. The batch number on the certificate is the batch number on the jar. If you're holding a Nuka jar now, you can request the certificate for your specific batch through our Verify Your Jar page — we send it within 24 hours.

That's the standard we think every buyer should hold every supplier to — including us.