What Certifications Matter Most When Buying Mānuka Honey?

If your main concern is Mānuka honey authenticity and grade, UMF^TM certification is one of the most useful independent quality marks to look for. New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) provides a separate scientific definition that relevant exported Mānuka honey must meet. Commercial buyers should then look beyond the honey itself to food safety, manufacturing, traceability and market access requirements.

No single logo answers every question.

A credible Mānuka honey supplier should be able to show evidence across several layers, from product authenticity and batch testing through to food safety systems and the requirements of your target market.

Credentials Relevant to Mānuka Honey Buyers at a Glance 

The key is to match the credential to the question you are actually trying to answer.

Which Certification Matters Most for Mānuka Honey Authenticity?

For a consumer wanting independent assurance about genuine New Zealand Mānuka honey and its stated grade, UMF is among the strongest recognised certification systems because it combines independent testing, a licensed quality mark, traceability and a defined grading system.

For wholesale buyers, however, UMF should not be assessed in isolation.

Commercial due diligence should normally consider:

1. evidence that the honey satisfies applicable MPI Mānuka requirements
2. UMF certification where the product is being sold as UMF
3. batch specific laboratory results and a Certificate of Analysis
4. origin and traceability records
5. the supplier’s food safety and manufacturing controls.

This distinction matters because authenticity, potency and manufacturing safety are different questions.

What Does UMF Certification Actually Verify?

UMF™, or Unique Mānuka Factor, is a voluntary certification and rating system administered by the UMF Honey Association.

Licensed suppliers must meet the association’s requirements, and UMF certified batches are tested using independent laboratories. The UMF four factor system assesses:

MGO, or methylglyoxal, as a measure associated with potency.

Leptosperin, a naturally occurring marker used within the UMF system to support Mānuka authenticity.

DHA, or dihydroxyacetone, which is associated with the development and stability of MGO.

HMF, or hydroxymethylfurfural, which helps assess whether honey has been exposed to excessive heat or ageing.

The resulting UMF grade gives buyers a standardised way to compare qualifying Mānuka honey. UMF also provides a certification search that lets buyers use licence and batch information to verify participating products.

UMF therefore provides more information than an MGO number alone.

Importantly, UMF is not the New Zealand Government’s Mānuka grading system. It is an independent certification programme that operates alongside New Zealand’s regulatory requirements.

For a deeper explanation of the rating system, see Midlands’ guide to what UMF means.

Is MPI a Mānuka Honey Certification?

Not in the same sense as UMF.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), New Zealand's primary industry regulator, has established a scientific definition used to authenticate New Zealand honey labelled as Mānuka for export. Honey must meet specified criteria to be identified as either monofloral or multifloral Mānuka.

The MPI test uses five attributes:

• 3 phenyllactic acid
• 2′ methoxyacetophenone
• 2 methoxybenzoic acid
• 4 hydroxyphenyllactic acid
• DNA from Mānuka pollen.

MPI states that honey labelled as Mānuka for export must be tested by an MPI recognised laboratory against this definition.

Myth vs Fact: Do MPI and UMF Test the Same Compounds?

Myth: MPI authentication and UMF certification are essentially the same test.

Fact: They are separate systems designed for different purposes.

MPI’s scientific definition uses four chemical attributes plus a DNA marker. UMF’s four factor test assesses MGO, leptosperin, DHA and HMF.

For commercial buyers, MPI and UMF should not be viewed as competing options. All honey labelled as Mānuka for export from New Zealand must be tested against MPI's scientific definition. UMF certification provides an additional layer of assurance for products carrying the UMF mark. Buyers should therefore confirm MPI compliance as a starting point, then consider UMF certification where relevant to their product and market requirements.

Is MGO a Certification?

MGO is primarily a measurement, not a complete independent certification system.

MGO stands for methylglyoxal. Laboratory testing can measure its concentration in Mānuka honey, typically expressed in milligrams per kilogram.

That makes an MGO rating useful when specifying the required strength of a product, but an MGO number by itself does not answer every authenticity or quality question.

A wholesale buyer seeing an MGO claim should ask:

• Which laboratory measured the MGO level, what testing method was used, and is the laboratory accredited for that specific test (e.g. by IANZ in New Zealand)?
• Is the result linked to the batch being purchased?
• Is a Certificate of Analysis available?
• What evidence supports the honey’s Mānuka classification and New Zealand origin?
• What traceability exists from source through packing?

For international buyers, the testing method and Uncertainty of Measurement (UoM) are also worth checking. Laboratories in New Zealand and overseas may use different testing methods and report different levels of measurement uncertainty, which can affect how results are interpreted. When comparing results from different laboratories, buyers should confirm that the testing methods and measurement uncertainties are comparable and seek clarification on any significant discrepancies.

MGO is also one of the four factors measured under the UMF system. However, MGO is a measurement, while UMF is a broader certification system, so the two should not be treated as interchangeable.

Why Do SQF, HACCP and RMP Matter?

Authentic Mānuka honey must also be safe for consumption. Food safety standards go beyond hygienic processing and packing. They require producers to identify and control potential hazards, including contamination, throughout production, storage and handling to ensure the finished honey meets food safety requirements.

This is where credentials such as SQF, HACCP and RMP become important, particularly for retailers, distributors and private label brands. They provide assurance that appropriate systems are in place to manage food safety risks and produce honey that is safe for consumers.

SQF

Safe Quality Food, or SQF, provides independently audited food safety programmes used throughout global food supply chains. Its Food Safety Codes use a HACCP based approach and are designed to meet retailer, buyer and regulatory requirements. Relevant SQF Food Safety Codes are recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which benchmarks food safety certification programmes against common requirements. This helps ensure that recognised programmes meet consistent food safety expectations and supports their acceptance across international markets.

For commercial buyers, this can provide evidence that a supplier has systematic controls around areas such as food safety, traceability, supplier management and production.

It does not, by itself, prove that a particular batch is authentic Mānuka honey.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP, is a food safety methodology rather than proof of Mānuka authenticity.

MPI describes HACCP as an internationally recognised system for identifying and managing significant food safety hazards. It forms part of risk based programmes including RMPs.

A HACCP system might tell you that hazards are controlled during production. It does not tell you whether the honey is UMF 15+.

RMP

A Risk Management Programme is another distinct requirement.

Under New Zealand’s Animal Products Act, an RMP is a registered programme setting out how an operator identifies and manages food safety risks and other relevant risk factors. MPI notes that certain bee product processors and exporters must operate under a registered RMP, with ongoing verification requirements.

It is therefore more accurate to describe an operator as having a registered RMP than simply calling RMP another Mānuka honey certification.

Beth Mitchell, Technical Manager at Midlands, explains the practical distinction: MPI sets the regulatory requirements. A registered RMP documents how a site manages food safety risks and meets those requirements, with compliance regularly checked by MPI-recognised verifiers. SQF provides independent certification of the site's food safety management system, while UMF offers additional product-specific assurance for qualifying Mānuka honey. 

What About Halal, Kosher, FernMark, Organic and Environmental Certifications?

These credentials can be commercially important, but they answer different buyer requirements.

The distinction around FDA is particularly important. The US Food and Drug Administration requires many domestic and foreign food facilities to register, but FDA explicitly states that it does not issue food facility registration certificates. “FDA registered” should therefore not be rewritten as “FDA certified”.

FernMark similarly relates to New Zealand provenance and country of origin positioning. It should not be presented as proof of Mānuka potency or honey quality.

Which Certifications Should a Wholesale Mānuka Buyer Ask For?

The easiest way to qualify a supplier is to work through the evidence in tiers.

Tier 1: Product Authenticity and Specification

Ask for:

• MPI Mānuka test evidence where applicable
• the supplier’s UMF licence and batch certification when purchasing UMF product
• batch laboratory results
• Certificate of Analysis
• MGO results where specified
• origin records
• batch and supply chain traceability.

These documents tell you whether the product itself is what the supplier says it is.

Tier 2: Food Safety and Manufacturing

Review:

• registered RMP
• applicable SQF or equivalent recognised food safety certification
• HACCP systems
• GMP or other relevant good operating practice controls
• traceability and recall procedures.

These provide evidence about how the product is handled and manufactured.

Tier 3: Target Market Requirements

Depending on the destination and customer, evidence may include:

• Halal
• Kosher
• organic certification
• FDA facility registration
• GACC or other market specific registrations
• customer specific retailer requirements.

Requirements vary between markets, products and channels, so these should be checked as part of market entry rather than treated as universal Mānuka honey certifications.

Tier 4: Brand and ESG Requirements

Finally, a buyer may require:

• FernMark or other provenance programmes
• independently verified environmental or carbon credentials
• ethical sourcing evidence
• supplier social compliance programmes.

These can strengthen a sourcing proposition, but should remain separate from claims about Mānuka authenticity.

What Certifications and Quality Systems Does Midlands Hold?

The UMF Honey Association currently lists Midlands Apiaries Ltd under licence #2888, including Midlands brands such as PURITI, PRIMAL BY NATURE and Mount Somers.

Midlands also publicly identifies SQF, HACCP, a registered RMP, GMP controls, Halal, Kosher and market specific registrations among its manufacturing and market access credentials. Its current Mānuka product page also identifies Toitū Net Carbon Zero Organisation certification.

Beth Mitchell, Technical Manager at Midlands, confirms that these credentials apply at different levels. SQF, HACCP and GMP relate to the manufacturing facility. Toitū Net Carbon Zero Organisation certification, Sedex SMETA auditing and NZFSSRC membership relate to the organisation. UMF, Halal, Kosher and glyphosate-free credentials apply to specified products, while FernMark and NZ Made/Grown are used for eligible brands. An organisation-level carbon certification should not be mistaken for certification of an individual honey product.

Midlands supplies international markets including the United States, China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, the European Union and the United Kingdom, meeting applicable regulatory and import requirements for each destination.

H2: Buying Mānuka Honey With Confidence

The best Mānuka honey suppliers do not rely on one badge to establish credibility.

Product authentication, independent testing, food safety, traceability, market access and responsible production each require different forms of evidence.

For wholesale, retail or private label buyers, the strongest due diligence process is therefore to ask what each credential proves, who verifies it, what it applies to and whether it is current.

Talk to Midlands about certified, traceable Mānuka honey supply, including bulk Mānuka honey, private label programmes and market specific quality requirements.