The short answer
Honey is not on the NHS list of foods to avoid in pregnancy. That list is specific rather than vague, naming liver, pâté, raw shellfish, swordfish and liquorice root among others. Honey is not among them, and neither is botulism mentioned anywhere on it.
The warning you are thinking of is real. It is on a different NHS page, the one about feeding babies, and it starts after the birth.
Why the two are different
The useful detail is that both authorities describe the mechanism as something that happens in a baby's gut specifically, not as a general property of honey.
NHS puts it this way: honey occasionally contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines, leading to infant botulism. CDC describes the same thing, saying infant botulism can happen if the spores get into an infant's intestines, where they grow and produce the toxin.
Both are writing about infants. Neither extends the warning to pregnancy, and honey does not appear on the pregnancy guidance from either of them.
Worth being precise about what this page is not claiming: it is not offering a biological explanation of why an adult gut behaves differently. That explanation gets repeated confidently online and it is not what NHS or CDC actually say. What they say is who the warning is for, and that is enough to answer the question.
Raw, pasteurised, and manuka
Raw versus pasteurised. This is the natural next question and it does not change much. The infant concern is about spores rather than the bacteria pasteurisation is aimed at, and CDC's advice for under-1s covers honey in general rather than raw honey specifically. For pregnancy, neither authority singles out raw honey. Choosing pasteurised is a preference, not a rule you are breaking by ignoring.
Manuka. Not treated as a separate category by either NHS or CDC. It is honey with a marketing story attached. Any claims about medicinal properties are a different conversation from food safety and this page does not settle them.
Honey in cooked and processed food. Honey in cereal, a glaze, a cake or a tea is the same ingredient. If a dish raises a question it is usually a different ingredient doing it, such as a raw egg in a mousse or an unpasteurised cheese.
The part that will matter, in about a year
Since you are here: the rule you half-remembered becomes yours after the birth, and it runs until the first birthday.
NHS says not to give a child honey until they are over 1 year old. CDC says the same, and adds that it covers anything made with honey. CDC also flags honey pacifiers specifically, after several babies in Texas became ill with infant botulism from them.
It is a small thing to know now, and it arrives at a point when nobody has time to look anything up.
What is actually worth checking instead
If honey brought you here, the foods that genuinely are on the NHS pregnancy list are worth a look, because several of them surprise people in the other direction. Liver and pâté are on it for vitamin A rather than bacteria. Hard cheese is safe even unpasteurised, while brie is cautioned even when pasteurised.
The foods to avoid guide covers the real list, and the cheese checker handles the one people get backwards most often.
Stop re-researching the same question
Questions like this one tend to get asked more than once, often at two in the morning. Keeping the answer with the meal means not starting from scratch the next time it comes up.
Common questions
Is honey safe during pregnancy?
Honey does not appear on the NHS list of foods to avoid in pregnancy. That list is specific and long, naming liver, pâté, raw shellfish, swordfish and liquorice root among others, and honey is not on it. The botulism warning that makes people hesitate is a real warning, but it is about babies under 1 rather than about pregnancy.
Why is honey dangerous for babies but not in pregnancy?
Both NHS and CDC describe the mechanism as something that happens in a baby's intestines. NHS says honey occasionally contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines, leading to infant botulism. CDC says infant botulism can happen if the spores get into an infant's intestines, where they grow and produce the toxin. The warning is written about infants, and neither authority extends it to pregnancy.
What about raw or unpasteurised honey?
Pasteurisation is not what makes honey a question for infants, since the concern is spores rather than the bacteria pasteurisation targets, and CDC's advice for under-1s covers honey generally rather than only raw honey. For pregnancy, neither NHS nor CDC singles out raw honey. If you prefer to choose pasteurised, that is a reasonable personal preference rather than a rule you are following.
Is manuka honey different?
Not in the guidance. Manuka is honey with a marketing story attached, and neither NHS nor CDC treats it as a separate category for pregnancy. Claims about its medicinal properties are a separate discussion from food safety and are not something this page can settle for you.
When does the honey rule actually start mattering?
After the birth, and it lasts a year. NHS says not to give a child honey until they are over 1 year old, and CDC says the same. That includes anything made with honey, and CDC specifically flags honey pacifiers after several babies in Texas became ill. It is worth knowing now because the rule arrives at a point when nobody has time to research it.
Should I still be careful about anything with honey in it?
Not for the botulism reason during pregnancy. The ordinary considerations still apply: honey is sugar, so the usual advice about sugar intake is unchanged, and a honey-based dessert might carry a separate question from another ingredient such as raw egg. The honey itself is not the part to worry about.
Related Nouri pages
Sources checked on 6 September 2026
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy. Checked directly; honey and botulism do not appear on it
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children, which is where the honey warning lives
- CDC: Botulism prevention, including infant botulism and honey
- CDC: Safer food choices for pregnant women
This page reports what named authorities say and where they say it. It is educational, it does not account for your medical history, and it does not replace your midwife or doctor.