Hello Veggie Lovers,

welcome back to another new blog post.

Today we will be discussing the topic of honey.

As a food produced by insects, honey is by definition not vegan.

Bees gather nectar from flowers, partially digest it, and then regurgitate it once back in their hives.

Below I will be listing some important reasons why you should consider skipping the honey and finding great vegan alternatives.

Whether or not you’re vegan, there are a number of compelling reason to choose alternative sweeteners.

• Much of the world’s honey comes from bees that pollinated mono-cultured crops, and is therefore prone to contamination by pesticides and herbicides.
• The act of harvesting from commercial hives inevitably crushes or injures some of the bees.
• Most honey from large-scale producers comes from hives treated with antibiotics.
  Beekeepers often respond to disease outbreaks by burning their hives—killing all bees inside.
• A large-scale study published in Science found that 75 percent of samples taken worldwide were contaminated with insecticides.
• It’s a raw deal to the bees to steal their food and replace it with industrially-processed corn syrup, which is what most commercial beekeepers do.
• You may not be eating what you think you’re eating; fraud and mislabeling is rampant in the industry. Honey is the world’s third-most adulterated food product, after milk and olive oil.

Two companies make terrific vegan alternatives: the Vegan Honey Company and Suzanne’s Specialties

Rather than buy a product that mimics the flavors of honey you might prefer maple syrup, which delivers comparable sweetness while offering a more interesting flavor.

Agave syrup is another good substitute, although its extremely high fructose content gives it a sky-high glycemic index.

With all these issues considered, even if you’re not vegan it makes sense to choose a vegan sweetener.

A top-quality brand of organic unrefined sugar actually costs less than most brands of honey.

If you are seeking a liquid sweetener, maple syrup, agave nectar, or a vegan honey alternative are all excellent choices.