Honey

Honey is a sweet, thick, liquid food produced by honey bees. Bees collect nectar from flowers, which they then process and store in honeycombs, where water evaporates, concentrating the natural sugars.

Manufacturers add honey primarily as a natural sweetener and flavor enhancer in a wide range of products. It also acts as a humectant, helping to keep foods moist, and can contribute to preservation due to its low water content. It is commonly found in cereals, snack bars, baked goods, beverages, and sauces.

Honey is a natural food ingredient and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Like other sources of sugar, it should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, as excessive intake of sugars can contribute to health concerns. A notable health caution is that honey should not be given to infants under one year old due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious illness caused by *Clostridium botulinum* spores that can be present in honey. International bodies like JECFA and EFSA have evaluated honey as a food, acknowledging its composition and safety considerations, but it is not typically assessed as a food additive with an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI).