Is Honey Vegan?
By definition, no, honey is not vegan. While some that claim to be vegan incorporate honey into their diet, they’re not vegan. By definition, a vegan does not consume any animal, animal byproduct or product produced through animal exploitation. This includes bees and their honey.
Personally, I think this makes veganism a bit of a contradiction because in today’s world, there is no possible way a person can find and consume food that has never affected any animal in a negative way. This is why I prefer to classify myself as a “strict-vegetarian.” This does allow some exceptions like honey and some ingredients derived from dairy. While I classify myself as a strict-vegetarian, I still do not eat dairy, honey, egg and also stay away from chemical ingredients derived from animal. I also do not wear clothing made from animals and so on. A person would have to be a chemist to understand half the ingredients in today’s food so in most cases, it’s best to go raw-vegetarian.
But to remain on topic, for those of us who strive for perfection in our efforts to eat only vegetables, legumes, nuts and wheat; honey is a food that obviously exploits bees and very often kills bees during the retrieval of honey. All those labeling themselves as vegans should avoid honey. It’s that simple.
