Why can’t babies of less than one year of age eat honey?
Honey may in some instances contain Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause infant botulism- a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies (under the age of one). Clostridium botulinum spores are present throughout the environment and may be found in dust, soil and our surroundings. Adults and children over the age of one are routinely exposed to, but are not normally affected by, Clostridium botulinum spores. In most food products, spores are inactivated when manufactured food products receive a roasting heat treatment. Honey, however, is not heat treated like most manufactured products. As a result, almost all honey packers display on their label the warning that “Honey is not suitable for children under the age of 1”. It is, however, a completely safe and wholesome food for children over one and adults.
