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Premium Manuka Honey MGO 1050+ (UMF 23+)
MGO 1050+ Mānuka Honey. The top of the grading ladder, and the price it comes at.
NZ$215. That is what a jar of genuinely certified MGO 1050+ Mānuka honey costs from us, and this page explains exactly what you are paying for, so you can decide whether the number on the label is worth the number on the price tag.
Most honey sold as "high grade" never reaches this level. MGO 1050+ sits at the ultra-therapeutic end of the scale, UMF 23+ equivalent, and very few New Zealand producers carry a monofloral honey this potent. We are one of them, from Kerikeri in Northland.
What MGO 1050+ actually means
MGO stands for methylglyoxal, the compound that gives Mānuka honey its non-peroxide antibacterial activity. It forms naturally from DHA in the nectar of the Mānuka tree, Leptospermum scoparium, and unlike the hydrogen peroxide activity in ordinary honey, MGO is stable. It does not degrade on the shelf. Professor Thomas Henle at Dresden identified this link in 2008, and it is why the MGO number on a jar is a real measurement rather than a marketing badge.
The number is milligrams of methylglyoxal per kilogram. MGO 1050+ means at least 1050 mg/kg, independently verified. Higher is rarer, and harder for the bees to give you, which is most of why the price climbs with the grade.
The grade compared, plainly
| Grade | UMF equivalent | Everyday name | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGO 250+ | UMF 10+ | Everyday wellness | Daily immune support |
| MGO 550+ | UMF 15+ | Daily wellness plus | Gut and oral health |
| MGO 850+ | UMF 20+ | High therapeutic | Elevated therapeutic use |
| MGO 1050+ | UMF 23+ | Ultra therapeutic | Wound care, clinical-grade use |
If you are buying MGO 1050+, you are buying the top rung. For everyday use, a lower grade does the job and costs less. People choose 1050+ when they want the strongest verified potency available or to gift something genuinely rare.
Why it cost NZ$215, and why should the cheaper " 1050 " make you cautious
High-MGO Mānuka is scarce. The Mānuka blooms for only a few weeks a year, the highest-activity nectar is not guaranteed in any given season, and a monofloral honey that tests at 1050 or above is a small fraction of a harvest. Price tracks scarcity.
It also tracks proof. A jar that claims 1050 but cannot show you the lab result behind it is asking for trust it has not earned. Ours can show you the result. That certainty is part of what you are paying for, and it is the part cheap imitations skip.
The science behind this
Curious what an MGO rating actually measures? Isaac explains what MGO means in Manuka honey and how it compares with regular honey on the Tōtika blog.
What certifies this jar
- Independently tested to contain at least 1050 mg/kg of methylglyoxal, by an IANZ-accredited laboratory.
- MPI five-attribute test passed: four chemical markers plus one DNA marker, the New Zealand government standard for monofloral Mānuka.
- Export certified for international markets: FDA registered for the USA, EU TRACES registered, GACC registered for China.
- Raw and unheated, so the MGO and natural enzymes stay intact.
- Monofloral Mānuka, from Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, Northland.
Who stands behind it
Tōtika Health is led by Dr Isaac Flitta, and the honey is backed by a team that includes a registered pharmacist and registered nurses. Our honey is stocked in New Zealand pharmacies, health shops, and high-end spas. When you ask who tested this, who graded it, and who put their name to it, those are the answers. Most brands cannot give all three.
Buy MGO 1050+
NZ$215 per jar. Certified, lab-tested, export-grade. Shipped from Kerikeri, New Zealand.
FAQ:
Q: How much does MGO 1050+ Mānuka honey cost?
A: NZ$215 per jar from Tōtika Health, for certified MGO 1050+ tested to at least 1050 mg/kg of methylglyoxal by an IANZ-accredited laboratory.
Q: What is MGO 1050+ equivalent to in UMF?
A: MGO 1050+ is equivalent to UMF 23+.
Q: Is MGO 1050+ the strongest Mānuka honey you can buy?
A: It is at the ultra-therapeutic top of the common grading range. Higher grades exist but are rare. For most daily use a lower grade is sufficient and less expensive.
Q: How do I know an MGO 1050+ honey is genuine?
A: Ask for the IANZ-accredited lab result and confirm the honey passes the MPI five-attribute test for monofloral Mānuka. A real producer can show you both. how to tell real Mānuka honey from fake
Q: Where is Tōtika MGO 1050+ honey made?
A: In Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand. It is the same honey stocked in New Zealand pharmacies, health shops, and spas and exported to our sister companies in Europe and Canada..