EDUCATION June 9, 2025

What Is Total Activity (TA) In Honey?

EDUCATION

8 minute read

Essential Takeaways

The TA rating in honey refers to its total antibacterial activity. It is calculated by adding the peroxide and non-peroxide activity together. Non-peroxide activity is believed to be unique to Manuka honey¹, so most honey types only take the peroxide activity level into account.

Peroxide activity diminishes over time, so the TA rating of a jar of honey may also change. Non-peroxide activity in Manuka honey increases however², so it may actually get more potent in antibacterial properties. For this reason, the total activity rating alone may not tell you very much about the health benefits of a jar of honey.

For the best chance at sustained potential health and wellness benefits, opt for UMF™ Manuka honey. The higher the grade, the more potent its antibacterial properties - and these may even increase over time².

Buying premium honey can sometimes feel like a confusing acronym soup.

UMF™, MGO, NPA, TA… What are they, and how do they relate to each other?

Specifically, what is the TA rating in honey?

Here, we’ll be answering this question and helping you to distinguish which numbers are helpful and which ones are not as useful.

In this guide to total activity in honey:

What does total activity in honey mean?
Does a higher total activity in honey mean greater health benefits?
TA rating vs. MGO, NPA, and UMF™
Get your active honey from New Zealand Honey Co.

What Does Total Activity in Honey Mean?

When we talk about “activity” in honey, we’re generally referring to its antimicrobial properties. The more active the honey, the stronger its antimicrobial potential³.

There are two types of antimicrobial activity in honey: peroxide and non-peroxide activity³.

Peroxide activity refers to the antibacterial benefits that directly correlate with hydrogen peroxide found in the honey.

Non-peroxide activity (NPA) refers to the antibacterial benefits found in honey that do not correlate with its hydrogen peroxide levels.

“It’s common for fresh honey to inhibit the growth of bacteria, which is a result of the activity of hydrogen peroxide formed by enzymes that bees add to nectar as they digest it and turn it into honey. This is measured in the laboratory using a Total Activity (TA) test, which is a type of microbiology assay.”

DHA and MGO: the most common testing in Manuka honey, a 2019 technical summary¹.

“Total activity” is the overall strength of the antimicrobial properties in a batch of honey. This might only take peroxide activity into account if NPA isn’t present.

While scientists had originally pinned the antimicrobial properties of honey to its peroxide activity, an interesting discovery called this into question⁴.

Manuka honey appeared to exert the same or greater potency of antibacterial effects even when its peroxide activity was being blocked⁵.

While NPA is found in some different honey types, having consistently high concentrations is believed to be unique to honeys made with nectar from plants in the Leptospermum genus (such as Manuka honey). This activity is a result of a combination of compounds, including, most notably, methylglyoxal (MGO)1.

So are peroxide activity and non-peroxide activity equal?

“Peroxide in honey tends to break down reasonably quickly, meaning that for most honey the TA is highest when it is fresh, and reduces over time.

The first important discoveries about Mānuka honey were: 1. it often had a high level of TA; and 2. the TA did not reduce over time like other honey; and 3. this activity was not dependent on peroxide.”

DHA and MGO: the most common testing in Manuka honey, a 2019 technical summary¹.

This suggests that the NPA found in Manuka honey may sustain its antimicrobial benefits longer than the peroxide activity in other honey types.

How a honey TA score is calculated

“Total activity” refers to the sum of peroxide and non-peroxide activity in honey. These are both calculated as a percentage of phenol equivalents found in a honey sample⁹.

What does this mean in practice? Put simply, the concentration of phenols in a batch of honey, which are associated with its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

Since NPA is primarily found in Manuka honey and honey from other plants in the Leptospermum genus, other types of honey may only take peroxide activity into account.

Peroxide activity + non-peroxide activity = total activity

Typically, you’ll see TA scores between 0 and 35+, sometimes higher. The higher the TA score, the more potent and active the honey is likely to be against bacteria. However, without knowing how much of that activity comes from non-peroxide sources (like MGO), a high number doesn’t always mean lasting potency.

Do all honeys have total activity ratings?

Not all honeys are sold with TA ratings, but you may be able to calculate it yourself. To calculate the total activity, you would need to know the peroxide activity and NPA. Simply add them to get your total activity rating.

What is TPC in honey?

TPC stands for Total Phenolic Content. The phenols found in honey are also attributed to its health benefits, primarily its antioxidant properties⁷.

As TPC is more about antioxidant activity, it isn’t included in total activity ratings for honey

SHOP REAL RAW MANUKA

Buy UMF™ 20+

Does Total Activity in Honey Mean More Health Benefits?

The higher the honey TA score, the more potent its antibacterial properties are. So, in theory, opting for the top total activity honey should offer you more health benefits.

Naturally, this comes with some caveats.

As we have seen, peroxide activity degrades over time. If your honey’s TA score is based only on peroxide activity, you’ll need to consume it fresh to maximise the benefits.

Non-peroxide activity, however, doesn’t appear to degrade over time. In fact, the antibacterial properties of Manuka honey may get stronger².

“Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the precursor of MGO, derives from the nectar of mānuka flowers and converts to MGO as the honey matures.”

Kinetics of conversion of dihydroxyacetone to methylglyoxal in New Zealand mānuka honey, a 2016 study².

MGO (or methylglyoxal) is the key compound associated with Manuka honey’s antibacterial properties - so if this content increases over time, its antibacterial potency might too.

So whilst the TA in honey may indicate how antimicrobial it is, the type of honey can impact how this changes over time.

If you want a honey that doesn’t lose its potency after purchase, it may be best to opt for Manuka honey.

TA Rating vs. MGO, NPA, and UMF™

You might have noticed that other blogs covering this topic often TA ratings in honey against their equivalent MGO content, UMF™ grade, and various other values.

We haven’t done that here because, as you’ve seen so far, the total activity (TA) in honey is only half the story. Directly comparing TA to measures of non-peroxide activity is like comparing apples to oranges - they refer to different things.

For example, a TA rating in honey might look high, but if it doesn’t contain non-peroxide activity, which increases over time, the antibacterial properties will diminish as your honey sits on the shelf.

So it’s helpful to understand the other honey ratings to ensure that you know exactly what you’re buying. Systems like UMF™ are designed to protect the integrity of genuine and active Manuka honey from New Zealand, which is one of the most studied and coveted honey types in the world.

Here’s an overview of the numbers you might be seeing and what they refer to, followed by a little more detail on each.

	Total activity (TA)	Methylglyoxal (MGO)	Non-peroxide activity (NPA)	Unique Manuka Factor™ (UMF™)
What is it?	The total potency of antibacterial and antimicrobial activity in a jar of honey	A compound found in Manuka honey that’s associated with its non-peroxide antibacterial properties	Antibacterial activity found in Manuka honey that isn’t related to hydrogen peroxide	An independent grading system for monofloral Manuka honey from New Zealand
How it’s calculated	Peroxide activity + non-peroxide activity	Milligrams of methylglyoxal per kilogram of honey	This is done in a lab using microbiological assays⁸	It tests for chemical markers that verify authenticity, freshness, and antibacterial activity - the latter dictates the grade
Typical measurements	TA10 - 35+*	MGO50+ - MGO1620+	% of phenol equivalent⁹	UMF™10+ - UMF™30+
Industry regulation	Not officially regulated	Not officially regulated	Requires lab equipment to verify, but not officially regulated	Recognised industry leader for the independent UMF™ standard

SHOP REAL RAW MANUKA

Buy UMF™ 24+

*Please note: It is difficult to source where these numbers originate from, and you may see higher ones on the market. You may want to ask your supplier for the evidence of this rating and what it includes.

Now with a little more detail.

MGO, NPA, and TA are related to chemical markers

Non-peroxide activity (NPA) is the level of antibacterial activity present in Manuka honey despite it having less, or blocked, hydrogen peroxide. It is believed to increase over time, boosting the antibacterial properties as more DHA (dihydroxyacetone) converts into MGO.

MGO stands for methylglyoxal, the compound most associated with the antibacterial activity in Manuka honey in the absence of hydrogen peroxide.

Total activity (TA) is the measure of all peroxide and non-peroxide activity in honey. This may change over time depending on what kind of activity has been included in the rating.

UMF™ is a grading system that tests multiple chemical markers

The Unique Manuka Factor™ grading system was designed to independently test and verify genuine raw, pure, monofloral Manuka honey from New Zealand.

It tests for a number of chemical markers:

Methylglyoxal (MGO) content, indicating its antibacterial potency.
Leptosperin, a compound unique to the Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka) tree indicates authenticity.
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) content, which indicates shelf life as it turns into MGO over time.
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content, which indicates whether the honey has been exposed to extreme temperatures and potentially lost its beneficial natural enzymes.

The UMF™ grades themselves increase based on the MGO content. The higher the grade, the more potent its antibacterial properties.

By opting for UMF™ certified Manuka honey, you know you’re getting the real deal every time.

Learn more about what the UMF™ grades mean.

Suggested Articles

Get Your Active Honey from the Wilds of New Zealand

Who wants a static TA rating when you can have antibacterial activity that potentially increases over time?

As your Manuka honey matures, its total activity may rise too, offering you greater antibacterial benefits over time. Now that’s a good deal.

Our Manuka honeys are sourced from rural and remote parts of New Zealand by some of the most responsible and passionate beekeepers in the business.

Our honeys are non-GMO, glyphosate-free, Halal, Kosher, and sustainably packaged. You can even trace your specific batch to the source, to see where it came from.

“Very impressed with both quality and service. Did a little research prior to purchasing and the quality and available products is superior. Ordered and received in just a few days. The entire experience was 5 star.”