Is Honey vegan?
Not vegan
Honey is produced by bees and most vegans do not consider it vegan because it is an animal product and commercial beekeeping harms bees.
What it is
A sweet substance made by honey bees from flower nectar, stored in wax combs inside hives.
Why not vegan
Honey is an animal-derived product. The Vegan Society and most vegan organizations classify it as non-vegan because bees produce it for their own colony and commercial harvesting often involves practices that harm or kill bees (wing clipping queens, smoke, replacing honey with sugar water).
Where you'll find it
- Sweetened teas and cereals
- Granola bars
- Baked goods
- Salad dressings
- BBQ sauces
- Cough drops and lozenges
- Some plant-based yogurts
Vegan alternatives
- Maple syrup
- Agave nectar
- Date syrup
- Coconut nectar
- Bee Free Honee (apple-based)
- Brown rice syrup
FAQ
- Is Manuka honey vegan?
- No. Manuka honey is still produced by bees and is not considered vegan.
- Are some vegans okay with honey?
- A small minority of plant-based eaters consume local raw honey, but by the standard Vegan Society definition honey is not vegan.