My diet:

Honey

No E-numberSweetenersOrigin: Animal
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganNo

Honey is made by bees.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

Honey is a sugar syrup, mostly fructose and glucose.

Low-FODMAPNo

Honey is high in fructose, which is a FODMAP.

The short answer
Honey is bee-made sugar. It is not vegan, it is not keto, and it is not for infants under 12 months. For everyone else it is a food, with about the same blood-sugar effect as table sugar.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromAnimal
What it doesSweeteners
Glycemic index58
Daily limitNot set
Also calledHoney, Raw honey

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Honey is a food, not an additive, so none of the three regulators has evaluated it as an additive. That is why every column says not evaluated. The safety question is the sugar in it, plus one rule for babies: honey can carry Clostridium botulinum spores, and public-health guidance says not to give honey to an infant under 12 months.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Honey is sweeter than an equal spoon of white sugar and it carries the aroma of the flowers the bees visited. Bakers use it because it holds water and keeps a crumb soft.

Where it comes from: Honey is the food honeybees make from nectar. They add enzymes, fan the water off, and store the thick syrup in the comb. A jar is that syrup, filtered or still holding a little wax and pollen.

Why it’s in food

  • Sweetens tea, yogurt and dressings
  • Holds moisture in cakes and granola bars
  • Glazes ham and roasted carrots
  • Feeds browning, because it is already a mix of simple sugars

Often found in

Tea and yogurtGranola and cereal barsSalad dressingsHoney hamBaklava and cakesCough drops

Also listed as: Honey, Raw honey, Clover honey, Wildflower honey, Honey powder

Health & gut impact

InfantsConcern

Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum. An infant's gut can let those spores grow, so health authorities tell parents to skip honey until 12 months.

CDC guidance on infant botulism and honey

Blood sugarConcern

Honey sits near table sugar on the glycemic index, around the high 50s, and the number moves with the floral source. It is still sugar.

Glycemic index tables for honey

What can I use instead?

Maple syrup

Ratio: Use the same spoon

Best for: A vegan pourable sweetener

Table sugar

Ratio: Use a little less liquid in the recipe

Best for: Baking when a neutral sweetness is fine

Related

More sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) E950Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K, E950) is a zero-calorie sweetener approved in the US, EU and Canada. EFSA re-checked it in 2025 and raised its daily limit. It's usually paired with sucralose or aspartame to hide a slightly bitter aftertaste.Use in moderationAdvantame E969Advantame (E969) is an extremely intense sweetener related to aspartame. Regulators approve it, and the amount in a food is tiny next to the daily limit. It does not carry aspartame's phenylalanine warning at normal use.Generally safeAgave syrup (Agave nectar)Agave syrup is a plant sweetener that is mostly fructose. It barely moves blood sugar, and it is still sugar: skip it on keto and in a low-FODMAP elimination.Use in moderationAlluloseAllulose is a "rare sugar" that tastes like sugar but has almost no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. It's keto-friendly and browns like real sugar in baking.Generally safe

Common questions

Is honey vegan?

No. Bees make it, so a vegan label will not use honey.

Can I give honey to a baby?

No. Wait until 12 months. The risk is infant botulism from spores, not an allergy to the sweetness.

Is Honey safe?

Use in moderation (68/100). Honey is a food, not an additive, so none of the three regulators has evaluated it as an additive. That is why every column says not evaluated. The safety question is the sugar in it, plus one rule for babies: honey can carry Clostridium botulinum spores, and public-health guidance says not to give honey to an infant under 12 months.

Is Honey vegan?

No. Honey is made by bees.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Report it ›

Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • CDC guidance on infant botulism and honey
  • Glycemic index tables for honey