Honey – Kosher Policy
- cRc policy from Kosher Status by Product:
- Honey, including raw: Requires kosher certification Packaging equipment for retail honey may be heated and may be used for non-kosher sauces
- Honeycomb: Acceptable Without Certification Pure honeycomb does not need certification
- September 12, 2025 from the COR Detroit:
- Standard honey goes through a filtering process, which removes the non-Kosher bee parts. Even “raw and unfiltered” honey is usually strained to remove the bee parts. However, some completely unprocessed honeys are neither filtered nor strained. If the label or the manufacturer states that the honey is not strained, or if bee parts are visible, that honey should be avoided.
- “Forest honey”, “Honeydew honey”, and “Beechwood honey” (or honey named after other types of trees such as Pine, Fir, Oak, etc.), generally refer to honey produced by bees that have consumed the non-Kosher excretions of aphids and scale insects left on trees, as opposed to standard honey that is produced from flower nectar. These are not considered Kosher according to some opinions, and should be avoided. Melipona honey should also be avoided.
- “Royal Jelly” is a bee product that, unlike regular honey, is an actual secretion of the bee. Some Poskim therefore rule that it is not included in the permitted category of “honey”, and it should be avoided.
- Honeycomb should be checked [before Yom Tov] for bee parts or insects. Honeycomb made from factory produced synthetic wax may contain non-Kosher ingredients and should not be used without reliable certification.
- September 10, 1015Honey policy from the London Beth Din:
- Due to an industry-wide honey shortage, companies are supplementing regular honey with Honeydew (also referred to as Forest Honey or Pine Honey). Whilst regular honey is produced by bees collecting nectar from flowers, Honeydew honey is made by bees collecting a sweet substance secreted by aphids (tiny insects that live on tree branches). The Kashrut status of such honey is subject to Halachic debate.
Because of this concern, KLBD recommends that honey should only be purchased with a reliable hechsher.
To check which Honeys are KLBD certified click here.
Kashrut.com has information on kashrus issues in honey and other sweeteners at www.kashrut.com/trade/sweetenerslist
