Is it true that babies under one must not be given honey?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
A little sweetness in weaning food, a spoonful for a cold: honey has a strong image as a natural food, and some people think "a little is fine". But in 2017 a six-month-old baby in Japan who had been given honey died of infant botulism, and the government issued a fresh warning. If you are raising a baby in Japan, here are the reasons and the scope of the rule.
What you need to know
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Cause | Spores of Clostridium botulinum. Widespread in soil and sometimes present in honey (Japanese surveys have reported detection in roughly 5–10% of honey samples) |
| Why only infants | Under one year the gut flora is undeveloped, so spores germinate and multiply in the intestine and produce toxin. In children over one and adults, the gut flora suppresses the bacteria, so illness from honey is extremely rare |
| Heating | Spores are not killed at 100°C (120°C for 4 minutes or more is needed). Heated honey, and baked goods or bread containing honey, are also not allowed |
| Japanese, imported, premium | No distinction; none are allowed. "Pure", "raw" and "manuka" honey are all the same |
| Symptoms | 3–30 days after ingestion: constipation (3 days or more) → weaker sucking → weak cry, listlessness → floppy neck and limbs (loss of muscle tone) → breathing difficulty. See a doctor at once (paediatrics or emergency) |
| Cases in Japan | In 2017 a six-month-old infant died in Tokyo (given juice containing honey as weaning food for a month). 0 to a few cases reported nationally per year |
| Law and labelling | Honey products carry the label "Do not give to infants under one year" (1歳未満の乳児には与えないでください) as a mandatory industry standard. It is not required under the Food Labelling Act, and some imported products carry no such label |
Foods other than honey to watch
| Food | Reason |
|---|---|
| Drinks, yoghurt, sweets, bread and honey-roasted nuts containing honey | Contain honey |
| Brown sugar (kokutō, 黒糖) and some kibi sugar (きび糖) | Botulinum spores have been detected in some samples, and the MHLW advises against giving brown sugar to infants under one |
| Corn syrup | Spores have been detected in reports from abroad |
| Well water, home-made vegetable juice (insufficiently heated) | Soil-borne spores |
| Home-made jarred and vacuum-packed foods | Can cause botulism even in adults (see our separate article on home preserves) |
- From the first birthday: the gut flora has developed and normal amounts of honey are considered fine. Until then, sweeten weaning food with fruit, sweet potato or pumpkin (kabocha).
- Maple syrup: boiled-down tree sap, and generally described as carrying no botulism concern, but high in sugar, so use sparingly during weaning.
- Honey for a sore throat: studies have found that for coughs in children over one, honey worked about as well as over-the-counter cough medicine, and paediatric guidance abroad mentions this. Not for under-ones.
- Nursery and grandparents: many accidents come from well-meant "just a little" or "we always gave it in my day". Share the rule "no honey until age one" with family and carers.
- Adult botulism is a separate matter (caused not by honey but by home-made jarred foods, izushi (fermented fish) and insufficiently heated vacuum-packed food).
[Verify] Check the spore detection rate in honey, the details of the 2017 case and the warning about brown sugar against published material from the MHLW and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Misunderstanding 1｜Just a little is fine
It is not a matter of quantity; even a single spore can multiply in the gut. Zero honey under age one.
Misunderstanding 2｜Heating kills the botulinum bacteria
Spores do not die at 100°C. Bread, baked goods and simmered dishes containing honey are also out.
Misunderstanding 3｜Pure Japanese honey is safe
Origin and quality have no bearing on whether spores are present. Do not give it, whether or not it carries a warning label.
Misunderstanding 4｜Everyone used to give it, so it is not a problem
Infant botulism has only been recognised since the 1970s; earlier cases may have been counted among unexplained sudden deaths. The 2017 death really did happen in Japan.
Misunderstanding 5｜Honey is still dangerous after age one
Over age one the gut flora is established, and illness from normal consumption is extremely rare. After the first birthday honey has useful roles, such as easing coughs.
---
Sources
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), "Give honey only after the first birthday" [ハチミツを与えるのは1歳を過ぎてから] (infant botulism warning)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000161461.html
- Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Public Health, "On a fatal case of infant botulism" [乳児ボツリヌス症による死亡事例について] (2017)
https://www.hokeniryo.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/shokuhin/
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases, "What is botulism?" [ボツリヌス症とは]
https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/ja/kansennohanashi/477-botulinum-intro.html
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Some ingredients need thorough cooking. Eat raw only foods that are sold for raw consumption. If you have allergies, check the ingredients.
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