Is Honey Gluten Free? Honey Info And Facts Inside

• Unadulterated, raw honey produced in the hive is gluten-free.

• Apart from being an incredible source of amino acids and vitamins, raw honey is gluten free and has anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and anti-fungal properties.

• If placed near lands where grains containing gluten are grown, dust can get into the hives and contaminate honey.

• In order to maintain all its properties, raw honey should not be micro-filtered, heated, or pasteurized.

---

Is honey gluten free? Unadulterated, raw honey produced in the hive is gluten-free.

However, if you are a celiac or you are intolerant to gluten, you need to do thorough research on the products you consume. And honey makes no exception because cross-contamination can happen. 

Depending on the location of the hives or the way in which honey is processed, the final product may contain traces of gluten thus endangering your health.

In this article we will answer the question is honey gluten free in the best way possible.

Understanding how honey is made and manufactured will help you take full advantage of all the benefits honey offers.

So is honey gluten free or not?

YES, honey is gluten free for the most part, raw honey produced by bees is naturally gluten free, however, there are some things you need to know before eating honey if you have celiac or avoiding gluten.

What is honey

How do bees make honey?

Bees make honey by gathering nectar and pollen from flowers and plants. Nectar is a sweet liquid – rich in oils, salts, vitamins, and other nutrients – that is produced by a plant’s glands (i.e. stamen, petals, pistil).

Pollen consists of numerous small pollen grains that bees collect from the stamen of flowers due to its rich protein content. 

The collected nectar and pollen are then taken to the hive where bees pass it from mouth to mouth to reduce moisture, turn it into honey, and then store it in the honeycomb. 

Once placed in the storage cells, honey is capped with beeswax. 

These marvelous flying machines are not only hardworking but also incredibly clean. Before going out for more pollen, they carefully clean themselves and the hive. And voila, raw honey is ready to be collected, processed and brought to your table.

Ingredients of honey

Bees collect the nectar and pollen from a wide variety of flowers and blossoming plants. Raw honey is a complex mix of several sugars and it typically contains:

• Sucrose
• Fructose
• Maltose
• Other sugars

However, mass-producing manufacturers thin it down with sucrose syrup or corn syrup, making it dangerous for celiac and gluten-sensitive consumers. 

Known gluten-free brands for honey

Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey

As its very name suggests, we are talking about a high-grade Manuka honey produced in New Zealand.

The manufacturer boasts a strict rating system that guarantees that the honey they deliver is Non-GMO Project verified, raw, and unpasteurized.

Main features:

1. 100% raw Manuka honey
2. Unfiltered and unpasteurized
3. Non-GMO project verified

Y.S. Organic Bee Farms

A well-established raw honey brand, Y.S. carefully harvests its honey from its organic bee farms. The honey Y.S. delivers is not only raw but also organic, thus ensuring its highly nutritious and healing properties.

Main features:

1. 100% certified organic raw honey
2. Unprocessed & unpasteurized
3. Harvested from Y.S.’s organic bee farms

Nature Nate’s

For Nature Nate’s, honey means more than a food product: it is a natural resource that is delivered to you just as Mother Nature intended to. 

Main features:

1. 100% pure raw & unfiltered 
2. Certified gluten-free
3. Without artificial sweeteners

The honey Nature Nate’s uses comes from the U.S. and Canada farms with tallow, canola, clover, and windflower. 

HoneyTree –Raw Organic Honey

An authentic raw organic honey coming from the Brazilian forests, pasturelands, and parklands away from industrial agriculture, herbicides, and pesticides, this honey offers 100% organic quality.

Main features:

1. Raw, organic honey from Brazil
2. Source certified
3. Unfiltered & unpasteurized

Things to look out for

Cross-contamination 

It is extremely important to know where your honey comes from and where the hives have been located. 

Since bees are amazing pollinators, some farmers place the hives next to agricultural lands to pollinate their crops. Gluten is a protein found in rye, wheat, and barley.

Can you see the connection? If placed near lands where grains containing gluten are grown, dust can get into the hives and contaminate honey. 

The downfalls of mass-produced commercial honey

Mass-produced commercial honey usually contains honey from various locations, making it impossible for the consumer to know if it has been contaminated or not.

The best way to play safe: purchase your honey from artisan beekeepers who dedicate their time and effort to control the honey production and process it in controlled environments where no gluten-containing products are stored or manipulated.

 In order to maintain all its properties, raw honey should not be micro-filtered, heated, or pasteurized.

The bottom line

Is honey gluten free? Raw honey is made directly by hardworking bees that collect pollen and bodily fluids from flowers and plants. 

Since there should be little to no human manufacturing interference, honey is often listed as a safe gluten-free product on food lists. 

However, this amazing, naturally gluten-free food may be subject to contamination. If you want to make sure that the honey on your kitchen table is gluten-free, make sure to purchase it from safe suppliers who take pride in the products they deliver.