Manuka Honey can be safely consumed by adults but young babies need to take extra precautions. We do not recommend giving honey to a child or infants under 12 months old. The reason why babies can not have Manuka Honey under 12 months of age is because honey may contain spores of a bacteria called Clostridium botulinum.
The presence of this bacteria doesn't mean our honey supply is contaminated. Indeed, these bacteria are harmless to adults and children over 1 year of age. But it can make babies, whose digestive and immune systems are less developed, seriously (and possibly fatally) sick.
Hence why, paediatricians recommend waiting until your baby is at least 12 months before introducing honey. You should even stay away from jars that claim to have been pasteurised, since this process still can't reliably remove all the bacteria. Also avoid foods that contain honey as an ingredient.
After those first 12 months, stop worrying and feel free to use our Zealandia Honey® from New Zealand with every meal!
