The stamp of approval for quality honey
What is MGH™ Certified?
MGH™ is our own honey quality standard. Built on over 18 years working with medical grade honey, it covers processing, testing and traceability — not processing alone.
In short
- ›MGH™ is a quality standard for honey used in wound care, animal health and cosmetics.
- ›Every batch is tested by independent laboratories and traceable back to its source.
- ›Extra testing and documentation are added to match the product the honey goes into.
- ›The mark covers honey quality — not sterility or approval of a finished medical device.
Behind the stamp
Our experience. Our quality standard.
Family Foods and Healthcare owns the MGH™ quality standard, developed from over 18 years working with medical grade honey. We ensure honey is MGH™ Certified before selling it in bulk or for manufacturing, including advanced wound care in human and animal health, cosmetics and skincare.
Certification brings together controlled sourcing and processing, independent laboratory testing in New Zealand and the UK, full batch traceability and reviewed documentation. It is not simply a processing method, a floral name, an MGO rating or a premium label. MGH™ spans a range of honey varieties — Manuka is our specialism.
The published base standard sets out the quality controls behind MGH™. Additional testing and processing are matched to the honey’s intended application.
Quality certification and medical-device approval are different. The MGH™ stamp does not, on its own, establish sterility, approval to treat wounds or clearance for a finished medical device. Those requirements must be addressed separately for the product and its intended use.
How it works
The checks behind MGH™ Certified.
The MGH™ Certified standards apply a disciplined, evidence-led approach to honey selection, characterisation and control. Certification starts with the base standard. From there, add-on testing, processing, sterilisation and regulatory support are layered on to match the specification, technical file or regulatory route the finished product is held to.
Behind the published standard, MGH™ supply operates to a documented internal quality-system structure — covering supplier approval, specification, batch release, traceability, complaints and document control — and every supplier we work with does so under a written supply agreement. Our technical file is built to demonstrate full traceability and supplier qualification.
Start here
MGH™
Base Standard
Sourcing controls
Defined origin, supplier qualification and chain-of-custody from hive onward.
Product characterisation
MGO, DHA, water activity, pH and the analytes that matter for the intended end use.
Independent testing
Specialist laboratories and testing partners — not self-declared quality.
Batch traceability
Every lot fully traceable through processing and supply.
Documentation review
Batch records, COA and SDS reviewed before release.
Suitability assessment
Fitness-for-purpose confirmed against the intended destination sector.
Non-negotiable · every batch
+ add-ons
+ add-ons
01
Additional Testing
Bioburden, endotoxin, residue screening, microbiological limits, allergen panels and pharmacopoeial-aligned methods — selected against the destination use.
02
Extra Processing
Filtration, conditioning and handling steps performed at processors operating to the highest standards — matched to your finished-product specification.
03
Sterilisation Support
Gamma-compatible specification, validated post-sterilisation activity retention and bioburden control for sterile finished devices.
04
Regulatory Support
Dossier-ready documentation aligned to MDR, FDA 510(k), cosmetic safety (PIF) and veterinary product stewardship requirements.
Who we work with
Independent laboratory certification. New Zealand & the UK.
MGH™ Certified honey follows a strict handling process and is certified by independent laboratories in New Zealand and the UK. Laboratory certification is a central part of the quality mark, alongside the handling controls and supporting batch documentation.
The handling process keeps sourcing, product characterisation, processing and records connected. The published standard covers independent testing, batch traceability and review of Certificates of Analysis and Safety Data Sheets.
Whether the honey is intended for advanced wound care, cosmetics, veterinary products, personal care or other specialist applications, MGH provides a structured framework to support confidence, transparency and quality assurance — regardless of floral source.
As regulatory and customer expectations continue to rise — particularly in sectors influenced by MDR, FDA 510(k), cosmetic safety and product stewardship requirements — MGH offers manufacturers and brand owners a practical route to using therapeutic honey of any variety with greater confidence.
Sector requirements
One standard. Layered to your specification.
Different sectors place different demands on a honey ingredient. The MGH™ standard is designed to extend — further testing, further processing and additional documentation can be incorporated to meet the specification, technical file or regulatory requirements of your market.
Built on the MGH™ base standard
Medical Grade & Wound Care
Sterilisation compatibility, bioburden control, endotoxin testing, stability data and device-grade documentation to support CE / UKCA / 510(k) technical files.
Built on the MGH™ base standard
OTC & Pharmaceutical
Pharmacopoeial-aligned testing, residue and contaminant screening, GMP-aligned batch records and supporting data for monograph or marketing-authorisation dossiers.
Built on the MGH™ base standard
Cosmetic & Skincare
Cosmetic ingredient documentation, microbiological limits, allergen and contaminant testing, and PIF-ready safety information for EU/UK cosmetic regulations.
Built on the MGH™ base standard
Veterinary
Species-appropriate specifications, residue screening and traceability documentation suited to veterinary medicinal product and topical preparation requirements.
Applications
Quality requirements for different sectors.
See all sectors we supplyHide detail
Definition
MGH™ is a process — built on the right flower.
Honey is a botanical extract. The medicinal chemistry of the flower carries into the honey, so the source plant matters: Leptospermum scoparium delivers DHA that converts to MGO; other floras bring peroxide, polyphenols or defensin-1. MGH™ is a controlled quality process for the honey itself — authenticated, characterised, stable and documented. Sterilisation, where a finished product needs it, is a separate validated step carried out and claimed by the product manufacturer; the MGH™ mark does not by itself mean the honey is sterile.
The criteria
The five conditions a honey must satisfy.
- 01
- 02
- 03
Documented bioburden[6]
A pre-sterilisation bioburden specification appropriate for the route of administration (topical wound, ocular, mucosal).
- 04
- 05
The regulatory gap
No government has written an MGH™ standard. So we built one.
There is no Codex, ISO, EU, FDA, TGA or MPI monograph titled 'Medical Grade Honey'. The category sits in the white space between food law (which governs honey as an edible commodity) and medical device law (which governs the finished dressing, gel or spray). Our working specification stitches the two together — anchored in food-grade authority, lifted to medical-device discipline.
Sign in free for more details: the three layers our standard is built from, and where we deliberately depart from the food-honey rules.
Selected references
- Codex Alimentarius Commission. Revised Codex Standard for Honey, CXS 12-1981 (Rev. 2 2001). FAO/WHO. CXS_012e.pdf.
- New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries. Criteria for identifying mānuka honey — A summary of the mānuka honey science programme. mpi.govt.nz.
- European Union. Council Directive 2001/110/EC relating to honey (as amended by 2014/63/EU). Official Journal.
- Australian Manuka Honey Association. AMHA Mark — authenticity and quality standard (MGO + leptosperin). manukaaustralia.org.au.
- ISO 13485:2016 — Medical devices — Quality management systems.
- ISO 11137 — Sterilization of health care products — Radiation; ISO 11737-1 — Determination of bioburden.
- Stephens JM et al. Phenolic compounds and methylglyoxal in NZ mānuka and kānuka honeys. Food Chemistry. 2010;120(1):78–86.
- Adams CJ, Manley-Harris M, Molan PC. The origin of methylglyoxal in NZ mānuka honey. Carbohydrate Research. 2009;344(8):1050–1053.
- Atrott J, Haberlau S, Henle T. Formation of methylglyoxal from dihydroxyacetone in mānuka honey. Carbohydrate Research. 2012;361:7–11.
- Kato Y et al. Authentication of mānuka honey by measuring leptosperin. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2014;62(27):6400–6407.
- Daniels BJ et al. Isolation and synthesis of lepteridine from mānuka honey. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2016;64(24):5079–5084.
- Bong J, Loomes KM, Schlothauer RC, Stephens JM. Fluorescence markers in some New Zealand honeys. Food Chemistry. 2016;192:1006–1014.
Botanical chemistry
Other medicinal flowers that carry into honey.
Manuka is the proven case, but it isn't the only medicinal plant bees forage. Where the flower's secondary metabolites are nectar-soluble or non-volatile, traces — and sometimes meaningful quantities — carry into the finished honey. The list below is the credible shortlist where peer-reviewed chemistry exists.
Show the other medicinal flowersHide detail
Manuka
Leptospermum scoparium
Carries: DHA → MGO (stable, dose-quantifiable)
The reference case. Nectar-borne dihydroxyacetone converts to methylglyoxal over months — survives gamma.
Tea tree / Jelly-bush
Leptospermum polygalifolium / Melaleuca spp.
Carries: DHA → MGO; trace terpenes
Australian Leptospermum cousins frequently equal or exceed NZ Manuka MGO. True Melaleuca (tea tree) honey is rarer but shares the antimicrobial heritage of the genus.
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Carries: Phenolics, thymol traces
Mediterranean thyme honey carries a measurable phenolic load; in vitro activity against S. aureus and Candida documented.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus spp.
Carries: 1,8-cineole traces, polyphenols
Eucalypt honeys retain low-level volatiles from the parent tree; studied in respiratory and oral applications.
Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Carries: Linalool traces, flavonoids
French lavender honey shows antioxidant and mild antibacterial activity attributable to flavonoid carry-over.
Sidr (Christ's thorn)
Ziziphus spina-christi
Carries: Saponins, polyphenols
Long ethnomedical history in Yemen and the Levant; emerging lab data on antibacterial and antifungal activity.
Chestnut
Castanea sativa
Carries: Tannins, kynurenic acid
Distinctly bitter European honey with high polyphenol load; studied for anti-inflammatory and gut-mucosal effects.
Linden / Lime
Tilia spp.
Carries: Farnesol, flavonoids
Traditional sedative and antitussive use mirrors the parent tree's herbal pharmacology.
Buckwheat
Fagopyrum esculentum
Carries: Rutin, phenolics
Highest phenolic content of common honeys. Cochrane-grade evidence as a paediatric cough antitussive.
Not every medicinal compound makes the journey. Volatile terpenes (the active fraction of true tea tree oil, for example) largely evaporate during nectar ripening — which is why tea tree honey is not tea tree oil. The compounds that survive are water-soluble or non-volatile: sugar-derived (DHA, MGO), peptides (defensin-1), and stable polyphenols.
On-pack vs off-pack
What you can — and cannot — say.
Sign in free to see which claims belong on pack and which must stay off pack as educational material only.
Common questions
What buyers and clinicians ask about MGH™.
›Is there an official MGH™ standard?
No. There is no Codex, ISO, EU, FDA, TGA or MPI monograph titled 'Medical Grade Honey'. The category sits between food law (which governs honey as an edible commodity) and medical-device law (which governs the finished dressing). The working spec stitches the two together: Codex CXS 12-1981 as the food-grade floor, plus ISO 13485 / ISO 11137 / ISO 11737 discipline on top.
›What must an MGH™ Certificate of Analysis (COA) show?
A defensible COA shows: botanical attestation (leptosperin, Leptospermum DNA or pollen), MGO assay by HPLC with the labelled value retained post-sterilisation (industry norm ≥95%), pre-sterilisation bioburden under ISO 11737-1, sterilisation dose validated under ISO 11137 (typically VDmax₂₅ to a 10⁻⁶ SAL), water activity, HMF, pH, and stability data — real-time at 25 °C/60% RH and accelerated at 40 °C/75% RH — out to the labelled expiry.
›MGH™ vs Manuka honey vs table honey — what is the difference?
Table honey is a food. Manuka honey is a monofloral honey from Leptospermum scoparium with quantifiable MGO. MGH™ is a quality process applied to a qualifying honey: authenticated source, controlled bioburden, dose-defined activity and full traceability. Bulk MGH™ honey is not claimed to be sterile — sterilisation and any CE / FDA / TGA device claims belong to the finished-product manufacturer.
›Does gamma irradiation destroy MGO?
No. Methylglyoxal is a small, stable α-keto aldehyde — covalent bonds, no labile structure for ionising radiation to cleave at the doses used (typically 25 kGy). Validated lots show ≥95% MGO retention against the labelled value. Heat pasteurisation, by contrast, collapses the DHA→MGO conversion and is rejected for MGH™ product.
›What MGO level counts as a clinical Manuka spec?
MGO is the directly-measured methylglyoxal concentration in mg/kg — the dominant non-peroxide antibacterial in Manuka honey. MGH™ uses two working tiers: MGO 200+ mg/kg for general wound maintenance and MGO 300+ mg/kg for more active wound management; higher grades (often 550+) appear in published chronic-wound studies. Washes and cleansers that rely mainly on honey's osmotic action can use a lower grade. Antimicrobial activity is never claimed on pack. A medical-grade dossier should also declare DHA and a stability curve over shelf life, not a single release number.
External evidence
Peer-reviewed and institutional sources on MGH™.
The literature and hospital-system reviews we sit alongside. Use these as primary sources; we annotate and apply them to buyer and regulatory decisions.
Show the published sourcesHide detail
- Peters LJF et al. (2025) — Medical-grade honey: its definition and refined standards
Journal of Wound Care · MAG Online Library
- Peters LJF et al. (2025) — Medical-grade honey: its definition and refined standards
PubMed (NIH)
- Boekema BKHL et al. (2024) — Comparing the antibacterial and healing properties of medical-grade honey
ScienceDirect
- Neo R et al. (2024) — Medical-grade honey has superior antibacterial properties against common wound pathogens
AVMA Journals · AJVR
- Barazesh P et al. (2025) — Unlocking the healing potential: a comprehensive review
Wiley Online Library · Health Science Reports
- UCLA Health — Medical-grade honey is a viable tool in wound care
UCLA Health News
- University of Manchester (2022) — Honey has sweet potential for wound healing
Manchester News
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust — Medical honey simplified
NHS · Oxford Health