Manuka Honey MGO 200+ — The Daily Jar

You can — but it depends on what you're making and how hot it gets.

Here's the thing most people don't know: the enzymes in Manuka honey and the MGO are two different things, and they behave very differently under heat. The natural enzymes are fragile — they start to degrade at relatively low temperatures, which is why we always say keep your tea warm, not boiling. MGO is a different compound entirely, and it's considerably more heat-stable. Stirring the 200+ into a warm drink or drizzling it over warm food isn't going to undo what makes it worth buying.

Where it gets more complicated is high-heat cooking — baking, roasting, anything that runs at oven temperatures. At those temperatures, the MGO does take a hit. It's not that cooking with Manuka is harmful, it's that you'd be paying for potency you're not keeping.

For cooking and baking, our MGO 60+ Blend is the smarter choice — same raw New Zealand honey character, better suited to the kitchen, at a price that makes sense when the heat is on. Keep the 200+ for your morning spoon, warm drinks, and skin.

Honey is not suitable for children under 12 months — this applies to all honey, not just Manuka. For everyone over one year, the 200+ is a great daily ritual jar. The lighter flavour compared to the higher-strength grades tends to go down better with younger family members.

MGO stands for Methylglyoxal — the naturally occurring compound in Manuka honey that makes it different from every other honey on the shelf. The number tells you how much of it is in the jar. MGO 200+ means there's a minimum of 200mg of Methylglyoxal per kilogram of honey, independently verified by a lab.

The higher the number, the more potent the honey. The 200+ sits in the sweet spot for daily use — strong enough to make a real difference as part of a consistent routine, priced well enough that you'll actually use it every day rather than saving it for a rainy day. The QR code on the lid links directly to your batch's lab results so you can see the exact number for yourself.