Monofloral vs Multifloral Mānuka Honey: What the Label Tells You
Short answer: Monofloral and multifloral mānuka honey have both passed New Zealand's MPI test for genuine mānuka. Monofloral honey shows the mānuka markers strongly, meaning bees mainly worked mānuka flowers. Multifloral honey passes with lower levels, meaning mānuka mixed with other flowers. Neither term describes the MGO grade, which is measured separately.
“Monofloral” and “multifloral” are classifications from New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, and both describe genuine mānuka honey. The difference is how much of the honey came from mānuka flowers.
Both have passed the same test
Honey exported from New Zealand as mānuka must pass five attributes: four chemicals from mānuka nectar and DNA from mānuka pollen. Honey that passes is then classed by how strongly it shows the mānuka markers. Our explainer on the MPI definition covers the test in full.
What separates them
The main dividing line is 3-phenyllactic acid, a compound from mānuka nectar. Under MPI’s 2018 definition, monofloral mānuka needs 400 mg/kg or more; multifloral needs between 20 and 399 mg/kg. Monofloral also needs a higher level of 2’-methoxyacetophenone.
In plain terms: monofloral honey came mainly from mānuka, multifloral from mānuka plus other flowers foraged in the same season.
Why it matters to you
- Flavour. Monofloral mānuka tends to be darker, thicker and more resinous. Multifloral is often lighter and milder, carrying notes of the other flowers.
- Price. Monofloral honey is scarcer, so it usually costs more at the same grade.
- Labelling. A clear label says which one it is. If a jar says only “mānuka”, it may be either.
What it does not tell you
Neither term is a grade. The MGO number on a jar is a separate laboratory measurement of methylglyoxal, and a monofloral honey can carry a modest grade. To compare value, read the classification and the grade together. See what the MGO number measures.
Checking your jar
The classification comes from export testing, the grade from the producer’s laboratory. Genesis Honey Co is exported under MPI certification and each batch is graded MGO 700+ by Hill Laboratories. Your jar’s batch code traces to its record.
Questions
Is multifloral mānuka honey real mānuka?
Yes. It has passed all five MPI attributes. It contains more nectar from other flowers than monofloral mānuka.
Is monofloral mānuka always a higher MGO grade?
No. The MPI classification and the MGO grade are separate tests. A monofloral honey can have a modest MGO number.
Which marker separates monofloral from multifloral?
Mainly 3-phenyllactic acid: under MPI's 2018 definition, 400 mg/kg or more for monofloral and 20 to 399 mg/kg for multifloral.