What Is TA Rating Honey?
Our Certified Test Results Explained
The gold standard measure of antibacterial strength, and why we test every single batch
Total Activity, usually shortened to TA, is the measure serious honey producers use to show how strong a honey’s antibacterial activity actually is. The higher the number, the stronger the activity, and unlike a lot of what gets printed on honey labels, a TA rating isn’t a marketing claim someone typed up. It comes from an independent lab test, on a real sample, with a number attached that either holds up or it doesn’t.
If you’ve come across Manuka honey’s UMF rating, TA is the equivalent for Western Australian varieties like Jarrah, Blackbutt and Marri.
How the TA Scale Works
| Total Activity | MGO Equivalent | Strength | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| TA 0–9 | — | Negligible | Low to negligible antibacterial activity |
| TA 10–24 | MGO 263–550 | Mild to Strong | Some to moderate activity |
| TA 25+ | MGO 829+ | Super | High activity, meaningful antibacterial properties |
| TA 35+ | MGO 1700+ | Extreme | Very high activity, the premium Jarrah benchmark |
| TA 40+ | MGO 1700+ | Exceptional | Rare and highly sought after, our Jarrah and Blackbutt |
How Our Honey Is Tested
Our honey is independently tested by Y-Trace, a Western Australian honey testing laboratory in Yanchep, led by Dr Khairul Islam. The method follows the validated approach published by Green, Dods and Hammer in 2020 in PLOS ONE.
In plain terms, honey is tested against two standardised bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. We test every batch, and every jar can be traced back to a signed off, certified result.
Our Certified TA Results
These results are from certified Y-Trace testing conducted in February, March and May 2026, signed off by Dr Khairul Islam, Honey Lab Technical Lead.
| Honey Variety | Sample ID | Test Date | AAV Lite | TA Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrah TA35+ | YTS-412 | 10/02/2026 | 354 | TA 42, Exceptional |
| Blackbutt Honey | YTS-456 | 18/03/2026 | 356 | TA 42, Exceptional |
| Banksia Honey | YTS-414 | 10/02/2026 | 326 | TA 34, High |
| Bush Honey | YTS-413 | 10/02/2026 | 267 | TA 19, Moderate |
| Red Gum Honey | YTS-0562 | 12/05/2026 | 354 | TA 42, Exceptional |
Jarrah, Blackbutt and Red Gum all scored TA 42, exceptional by any measure and firmly in the same territory as premium Manuka. It’s worth saying plainly that WA Jarrah honey regularly matches or beats Manuka on these numbers, and that’s not a marketing line, it’s botany.
Why This Matters When You’re Buying Honey
Anyone can print a number on a jar. Independent testing is what turns that number into something you can actually rely on. If you’d like to understand what a high TA rating actually says about how we keep our bees and handle the honey, we’ve written more about why TA rating matters.