MGO 83, 263, 829, 1200: what the number on a Manuka jar really means
MGO 83, 263, 829, 1200: what the number on a Manuka jar really means
One jar says UMF 20+. The one beside it says MGO 829+. A third says MGO 640. Are you comparing three different honeys, three different qualities, or the same thing written three ways?
Mostly the last one. And once you have seen the conversion table, the whole shelf becomes readable in about ten seconds.
What MGO actually measures
MGO is short for methylglyoxal, and the number is simply a concentration: milligrams of methylglyoxal per kilogram of honey. MGO 829 means at least 829 mg/kg.
Methylglyoxal is the compound that makes Manuka Manuka. It is not added, and it is not present in ordinary honey in any meaningful amount. It forms slowly inside the jar from DHA (dihydroxyacetone), a substance that comes from the nectar of the Manuka flower itself. That conversion continues over months, which is why a Manuka honey is tested and graded rather than simply assumed.
So the MGO number is a measurement, not a marketing tier. Higher means more of the signature compound — and, in practice, a stronger, more medicinal-tasting honey and a higher price.
Why the numbers look so random
Here is the part almost nobody explains. Why 83? Why 263? Why 572 rather than a tidy 600?
Because those figures are not chosen for looks. They are the MGO thresholds that line up with whole UMF numbers. UMF is a graded scale that moves in steps of one; MGO is a raw laboratory concentration. When you convert one to the other, you get untidy numbers.
That is the whole mystery. MGO 83 exists because it is exactly where UMF 5 begins. MGO 829 exists because it is exactly where UMF 20 begins.
The full MGO to UMF conversion table
This is the conversion chart published by the UMF Honey Association. Keep it on your phone.
| UMF | MGO (mg/kg) | UMF | MGO (mg/kg) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5+ | 83+ | 16+ | 572+ | |
| 6+ | 121+ | 17+ | 633+ | |
| 7+ | 154+ | 18+ | 696+ | |
| 8+ | 182+ | 19+ | 761+ | |
| 9+ | 222+ | 20+ | 829+ | |
| 10+ | 263+ | 21+ | 898+ | |
| 11+ | 306+ | 22+ | 971+ | |
| 12+ | 354+ | 23+ | 1046+ | |
| 13+ | 400+ | 24+ | 1122+ | |
| 14+ | 452+ | 25+ | 1200+ | |
| 15+ | 514+ |
Reading it the other way round
Most people meet the table the hard way: they have an MGO number in front of them and want the UMF equivalent. Some real examples, including figures shoppers search for constantly:
- MGO 83 — exactly UMF 5+. An everyday entry grade.
- MGO 261 — a whisker below the UMF 10 threshold of 263. Treat it as UMF 10 territory.
- MGO 300 — sits between UMF 10 and UMF 11.
- MGO 570 — just under UMF 16 (572). Effectively a UMF 16 honey.
- MGO 640 — lands between UMF 17 (633) and UMF 18 (696), so it is a UMF 17.
- MGO 826 — three points short of UMF 20 (829). Essentially a UMF 20.
- MGO 968 — just under UMF 22 (971).
- MGO 1200 — UMF 25+, the top of the usual retail range.
Notice how often brands land just below a round UMF step. That is not an accident of nature; it is what happens when honey is blended to a target and tested honestly. It also tells you something useful: an MGO number a few points under a threshold is, for all practical purposes, that grade.
Why the plus sign matters more than the number
Every one of these figures carries a +. That is not decoration. It means minimum guaranteed at the time of testing, not average and not typical. A jar labelled MGO 829+ has been tested at or above 829 mg/kg.
A number printed without a plus, or with words like "up to", is telling you something different — and usually less.
MGO or UMF: which should you actually look for?
They are not rivals; they measure different things.
MGO measures one compound. It is a clean, honest potency figure and easy to compare across brands.
UMF measures four. A UMF-certified honey is tested for MGO, for DHA (the precursor still waiting to convert, which tells you about the honey's future), for leptosperin (a natural marker that is very difficult to fake, so it speaks to authenticity), and for HMF (which rises with age and heat, so it speaks to freshness and careful handling).
Put simply: an MGO number tells you how strong the honey is. A UMF number tells you how strong it is and that it is genuine, fresh and properly handled. That is why we describe our range in UMF first and print the MGO equivalent alongside. If you want the fuller comparison, we wrote a dedicated piece on UMF and MGO grading systems.
Our own range, in both languages
| Haddrell's grade | MGO equivalent | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| UMF 5+ | MGO 83+ | Everyday, on toast, in the children's sachets |
| UMF 10+ | MGO 263+ | The classic all-rounder |
| UMF 13+ | MGO 400+ | A step up, still very enjoyable to eat |
| UMF 16+ | MGO 572+ | Rich, dark, noticeably stronger |
| UMF 20+ | MGO 829+ | Premium, taken by the spoonful |
| UMF 22+ | MGO 971+ | Rare harvest territory |
| UMF 25+ | MGO 1200+ | The top of the range |
The takeaway
The number on the jar is a laboratory measurement, not a marketing rank. MGO counts milligrams of methylglyoxal per kilo; UMF converts that onto a graded scale and adds three more checks. Learn one row of the table — MGO 263 equals UMF 10 — and the rest follows.
And when two jars sit side by side at very different prices, convert both to the same scale before you decide. Nine times out of ten, that single step answers the question.
