How to Check a Mānuka Honey Lab Certificate
Short answer: A credible mānuka honey certificate names an accredited laboratory, carries a report number and date, identifies the sample or batch, and lists results with units, such as MGO in mg/kg. The batch on the certificate should match the code on your jar. A grade with no certificate, or a certificate you cannot tie to your jar, proves little.
A test certificate is the evidence behind the number on the jar. Knowing what one should contain lets you tell a real record from a reassuring picture.
What a credible certificate contains
| Item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Laboratory | A named, independent laboratory, not the producer |
| Accreditation | In New Zealand, IANZ accreditation (International Accreditation New Zealand) |
| Report number and date | A unique reference you could quote back to the laboratory |
| Sample or batch | An identifier that ties the result to a specific batch |
| Results with units | For example MGO in mg/kg; often DHA and HMF as well |
Match the batch to your jar
The most important check is the link between the certificate and the jar in your hand. A certificate for “our honey” in general proves nothing about a particular jar. Look for a batch code on the jar that resolves to that certificate’s sample.
Understand what was tested
Two different kinds of test exist, answering two different questions:
- Grade tests measure methylglyoxal (MGO), and often DHA and HMF. They tell you how concentrated the honey is.
- Authenticity tests under New Zealand’s MPI definition measure four chemicals from mānuka nectar and DNA from mānuka pollen. They tell you whether the honey is mānuka. See the MPI definition explained.
A high MGO result is not, on its own, proof of authenticity.
Read the units
MGO is reported in milligrams per kilogram. MGO 700+ on a label means the laboratory found at least 700 mg of methylglyoxal per kilogram in that batch. A number with no unit is not a result.
An example: our certificate
Our current batch, ghc-2504-jm-d7b2-816, was graded by R J Hill Laboratories Limited in Hamilton, New Zealand, an IANZ-accredited laboratory, under report 3873081, reported 1 May 2025. Enter the code from your own jar on the trace page to see its record.
Questions
What should a mānuka honey test certificate show?
The laboratory's name and accreditation, a report number and date, the sample or batch identifier, and each result with its unit, such as MGO in mg/kg.
Which laboratories test mānuka honey in New Zealand?
Independent laboratories accredited by IANZ, International Accreditation New Zealand. Hill Laboratories and Analytica Laboratories are two that producers commonly use.
Does an MGO certificate prove honey is mānuka?
No. An MGO result measures concentration. Authenticity comes from the MPI test for four nectar chemicals and mānuka pollen DNA.