Is Honey Clean or Unclean?
Some customers have asked us how honey can be kosher, when it comes from a non-kosher species. The following is a summary of an article by Rabbi Dovid Heber, Star-K Kashrus Adminstrator, entitled, "To Bee or Not to Bee: A Kashrus Guide To Honey and Other Bee Products" (follow link for original article):
| Product | Status | Comments |
| Honey | Kosher | It is not a secretion of the bee. Instead, honey is kosher nectar, eaten and transformed by the bee into honey. The bee simply acts as a facilitator, and the nectar maintains kosher status throughout the transformation. THIS APPLIES ONLY TO 100% PURE HONEY. |
| Propolis | Kosher | It is not a secretion of the bee. It is material collected from the sap of a tree, carried in the mouth of the bee. HOWEVER, IF PROCESSED BY ALCOHOL, REQUIRES CERTIFICATION. |
| Bee Pollen | Kosher | It collected in pollen sacks on the legs of bees, and is not a product of the bee itself. |
| Royal Jelly | non-Kosher | It is a secretion of the bee, created to provide extra nutrients for bees that will become Queen Bees. |
| Bee Venom | non-Kosher | It is secreted in the venom glands of the bees. |
| Beeswax | Kosher | Although it is secreted by the bee, the body does not process it as food. |
View all of our varietal Kosher-Certified honeys HERE!!!
