We purchased some #1 unpasturized (Canadian grading), honey from a local person walking around town selling it on Labour Day. Could anyone advise me as to the safety of this product, as I have two girls 6 and 3 who want to dive in! Thanks.

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), September 05, 2001

Answers

The only thing I know is that you are not supposed to give any kind of honey to infants. You might want to eat some of the honey yourself and wait several days to notice if it gave you any kind of stomach ache or loose bowels. This would be an indication of a problem in giving it to your children.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), September 05, 2001.

Your girls are old enough to eat honey. Children one year and under should not have any honey at all, cooked, pasteurized, or raw. Other than that the only concerns I have heard about honey is about the farmer using chemicals on the bees, and then using or selling the honey.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), September 05, 2001.

Raw and unheated is the only appropriate way to consume honey. Heating/pasteurization kills all the enzymes, transforms the sugars, and robs honey of most of its natural value.

-- Rick#7 (rick7@postmark.net), September 05, 2001.

Reba, honey has a natural germicide right in it, which is why it doesn't mold in the comb. Raw honey is chock full of enzymes and other goodies, so dive right in. The only reason producers heat honey is so it won't crystalize so quickly. Then, all you do is heat it slowly in a pan of hot water, and it will liquify once more. BTW, if anyone has a tooth knocked out, just stick it in a jar of honey. The honey preserves the tooth, and keeps germs out, until you can have the tooth implanted once more.

-- Judy in IN (whileaway3@cs.com), September 06, 2001.

Thanks, everyone. I ate some today, so tomorrow the kids should be into it. Long as I'm alive, that is : )

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), September 07, 2001.