The risk of botulism poisoning from honey consumption is a frequent concern. It is true that botulism spores (Clostridium botulism) may be present in honey. For this reason honey should never be given to children under the age of one year, as their intestines are not yet able to handle botulism spores, which may colonize the infant’s intestines and produce botulism poisoning. In healthy older children and adults, there is little risk.
One survey in 1978, which examined honey from 32 U.S. states, estimated that the maximum amount of botulism contamination in honey was around 8 to 28 spores per kilogram of honey.
Other surveys in different parts of the world found no contamination in some countries but contamination with different strains in others. The level of contamination worldwide, when randomly examined, tends to be very low, with as little as 1 – 10 spores per kg.
Honey Contains Botulism Spores, But Not Toxin
Honey may contain botulism spores, but it does not usually contain any botulism toxin as the bacteria is unable to reproduce in honey. Botulism spores do not pose any hazard for healthy adults as the high acid environment of the stomach will kill the spores. However, the immature digestive systems of young children can make them vulnerable to infection.
Although honey should absolutely not be given to children under the age of one year, the levels of contamination associated with infant botulism are much, much higher, on the order of 104 spores per kilogram. These samples also tend to be limited to C. botulism, rather than A. or B. botulism, which may suggest that these high levels of contamination are not a random but normal incidence which is the result of contamination from an outside source or the the result of botulism amplification in the beehive for some reason.
Does Heating Honey Destroy Botulism?
The botulinum toxin produced by botulism spores is heat sensitive and can be destroyed or significantly degraded by heating at 185°F (85°C) for five minutes or longer. However, the bacterial spores themselves, like those often present in honey are quite heat-resistant and can survive boiling temperatures for hours. For this reason, heating honey is not sufficient to remove botulism spores. Since infants and small babies are sensitive to infection by botulism spores, honey should not be given to them at all, even if it is heated or used in cooking.
