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ocba - Re: [ocba] "Honey A Better Option For Childhood Cough Than Over The Counter Medications"

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  • From: Buck Horton <buck_horton AT unc.edu>
  • To: twright AT vicksburg.com, "Orange County, NC Beekeepers" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: Harry Fulton <Harry AT mdac.State.ms.us>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] "Honey A Better Option For Childhood Cough Than Over The Counter Medications"
  • Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:33:17 -0500

The warning applies to corn syrup and maple syrup as well (uncooked, I assume). The following is from Jay Hoecker, a pediatrician at the Mayo clinic:

"Infants younger than 12 months are at risk of infant botulism from eating honey. Infant botulism is a rare but serious form of food poisoning.

Honey is a known source of bacterial spores that produce Clostridium botulinum bacteria. These bacteria are typically harmless to older children and adults. But when ingested by an infant, these bacteria make a toxin that can cause infant botulism. It's unclear why this occurs in infants and not in older children or adults.

Infant botulism affects a baby's nervous system and can result in death. Signs and symptoms of infant botulism include:

* Persistent constipation
* Floppy arms, legs and neck
* Weak cry due to muscle weakness
* Weak sucking and poor feeding
* Tired all the time (lethargy)

Botulism spores may also be found in undercooked food, corn syrup and even maple syrup. For this reason, feeding an infant any of these foods is risky as well."


Tom Wright wrote:
Buck Horton wrote:
Just wanted to remind folks that children under 1 year of age shouldn't eat honey, because it can carry spores that cause infant botulism.
- Buck

Jeff Bollinger wrote:
Interesting article that shows some USDA National Honey Board funded
studies have proven that honey is often better than cough syrup:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203164750.htm


The study found that a small dose of buckwheat honey given before bedtime
provided better relief of nighttime cough and sleep difficulty in children
than no treatment or dextromethorphan (DM), a cough suppressant found in many
over-the-counter cold medications
This would be a good article to print out and keep with you when selling
your honey! :)

Jeff
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This seems to have been around for ages but I have never been able to document botulism from honey, in babies or otherwise.

I think it is an urban legend and anecdotal. Botilinum spores are everywhere...in the air, soil, and food that you eat. You ingest or inhale some daily without harm. You don't need or have antibodies as the acid in the stomach destroys them.

The problem occurs primarily with home-canned low- acid food, such as meat, beans, greens, etc. High-acid such as tomatoes and pickles are OK. In the old days a lot of canning was done in hot water baths or the oven. This won't do it because it takes pressure cooking to get the temperature high enough to kill the spores. With a low or neutral pH under anaerobic conditions the spores germinate and produce botulinum toxin. The toxin is destroyed by heat which is why it is prudent to cook canned meat or veggies rather than eating directly from the can (even commercially canned things). That is why your grandmother told you not to open cans with bulging tops and/or bottoms.

Tes, honey and just about everything else contains the spores.

IMHO, I suspect that once upon a time someone decided that to be safe, FDA required the warning on honey labels and it has been there ever since..

Harry, any thoughts on this?

Tom
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