Lab Testing/Results

What is Total Activity (TA)?

TA stands for Total Activity, and it measures the both the peroxide activity (PA) and non-peroxide activity (NPA) in a honey. A honey's TA rating is a representation of its antimicrobial quality i.e. how good it is at killing bacteria. The higher the TA rating, the higher the antimicrobial strength.

TA vs UMF vs MGO

Most of the total activity in Manuka honey is non-peroxide activity, and the active chemical is methylglyoxal (MGO).

The two main rating systems are:

UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) - A trademark term used to indicate the NPA level of Manuka honey. Common UMF ranges between 5+ to 20+, and it is comparable TA. However, UMF measures only the NPA, whereas TA measures both PA and NPA.

MGO (Methylglyoxal) - Indicates the content of methylglyoxal in Manuka honey (mg/kg). The rating typically ranges from 100+ to 1000+.

See comparison table below:

Total Activity	Equivalent UMF	Equivalent MGO	Strength Rating
TA10+	UMF 10+	MGO 263	Mild
TA20+	UMF 20+	MGO 829	Strong
TA30+	UMF 30+	MGO 1000+	Very Strong
TA40+	UMF40+	MGO 1250+	Super
TA50+	UMF50+	MGO 1500+	Extreme